Fire causes P111 million in damage at ice cream storage facility under construction in Batangas

The structure, being developed as a cold storage facility for ice cream manufacturer Degic Foods Corp., caught fire at around 4 p.m. in Barangay Bulihan.

Thick, black smoke quickly spread from the building, prompting workers to flee to safety.

Assistant welder Jomar Dasigan said he had just finished working when he noticed smoke coming from the structure. He immediately ran to the workers’ barracks to alert his colleagues as the smoke spread toward their quarters.

Dasigan recalled that breathing became painful, forcing the workers to rush toward a nearby gate to escape the smoke.

Fire SInsp. Santee Espares Jr., Malvar’s municipal fire marshal, said initial findings pointed to the building’s second floor as the origin of the blaze. Authorities have yet to establish what caused the fire.

The first and second floors sustained fire damage, while the basement and roof deck were spared, Espares said.

Firefighters also faced difficulties entering the building and containing the flames because the dense smoke severely reduced visibility. The polystyrene boards and foam materials used for the facility’s insulation were identified as contributing to the heavy black smoke.

Fire units from different parts of Batangas joined the response, along with fire trucks from nearby industrial parks and volunteer firefighters from neighboring Laguna province.

The BFP declared the fire out at 8:22 p.m., more than four hours after it started.

No injuries were reported. Company management has yet to issue a statement on the incident.