A large fire engulfed a merchandise store, cellphone and gadget store, and a fruit stand early yesterday morning, spreading to two commercial buildings on R. Baol Street in Barangay 21, near the Agora Public Market.
The affected buildings are owned by ABC President and City Councilor Winfred Militante, sources confirmed.
Witnesses reported that the fire started around 4:00 am. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), under the direction of City Fire Marshal Senior Inspector Randy Obsioma, responded promptly after receiving a call at approximately 4:06 am.
Despite their efforts, the intensity of the blaze led to the complete destruction of the two buildings, according to Senior Fire Officer 2 (SFO2) Johan Rana, Shift A Supervisor. Firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby structures.
The structural damage is estimated at P5 million, while the value of the destroyed goods, including cell phones, gadgets, accessories, household items, and furniture, is still being determined. Roy Tuto, a staff member of Councilor Militante, estimated the store damages to be close to P10 million.
The fire was controlled by 5:00 am and declared out at 8:19 am. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, said SFO2 Rana.
Gingoog Fire Volunteers, led by Engineer Lemuel Remegoso, assisted in preventing the fire from spreading further.
This incident marks the second significant fire in Gingoog City in July, following a fire that destroyed nine houses in Barangay 18-A on July 1.
