Fire destroys US Marine quarters in Zambo

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — A two-storey quarters occupied by the US Marines were damaged when a fire hit the US military forward station inside the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) military base in Upper Calarian of this city Friday morning, according to a fire bureau official.

Fire Superintendent Jhufel Brañanola, District Fire Marshal, said the bureau received the fire alarm about 9:05 a.m. that the semi-concrete US Marine Security element building was on fire.

Brañanola said two fire engines were immediately dispatched and supported by a water tanker from the Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office as the fire reached second alarm.

He said the firefighters quickly responded before it was declared fire out 20 minutes later.

According to Brañanola, no one was reported hurt. The conflagration left an estimated P2-million damage in properties. Some personal belongings of the US soldiers were also destroyed.

Initial investigation showed that the fire reportedly originated from room 102 and quickly spread to the rest of the rooms.

Brañanola could not immediately disclose the cause of the fire as the case is under investigation.