MANILA, Philippines Marikina Mayor Maria Lourdes Fernando has ordered the local fire department to explain its delay in responding to a fire at a hardware store in the city last Monday.
Fernando had set a five-minute response time for firefighters to fires anywhere in her city, according to a report by Sam Nielsen aired on Wednesday over radio dzBB.
But last Monday, in a fire that hit a three-story hardware store on Bonifacio AVenue, she noted that bystanders did not see any firefighters arrive at the scene until after 15 minutes.
That's why she ordered Chief Inspector Antonio Rosal to explain the slow response of his firefighters.
No one was reported injured in the fire at the Marikina Construction and Industrial Supply. The fire reached the third alarm before it was put out two hours later.
Firefighers even recovered two bundles of money that they returned to the hardware store's owners.
Arson investigators estimated the damage to property at P2 million. - GMANews.TV