Star City management disputes BFP finding that arson caused fire

Bureau of Fire Protection-Pasay personnel led by Fire Inspector Paul Pili (left) inspect what remains of amusement park Star City in Pasay City on Sunday, October 6, 2019. Pili concluded that the cause of the fire that occurred on Oct. 2 is arson due to the gasoline substance found in the area. Danny Pata

The management of Star City on Sunday said that it does not know of any motive that would spur anyone to deliberately set the amusement park on fire, following the Bureau of Fire Protection’s (BFP) finding that arson is the only probable cause of the October 2 blaze.

“We are not aware of any motive, including financial gain, that would induce the commission of arson specially on the part of Star City as the business is profitable and a bumper Christmas Season was expected,” the management said in a statement released Sunday.

Fire marshal Superintendent Paul Pili earlier told Super Radyo dzBB that they are focusing their entire investigation on arson. 

Star City also said it was “inappropriate” for the BFP to inform the media of their findings before speaking to the management.

“We feel that it was inappropriate, to say the least, to release statements to media first regarding arson as the cause of fire when the investigation is not clearly concluded and before taking up such matter with Star City’s Management, the principal party concerned,” it said.

The BFP previously said it was considering arson as a possible cause of the fire because different parts of the amusement park suspiciously started burning at the same time. 

However, Star City management insisted that “the fire originated from just one area which is a locator’s warehouse for stuffed toys.”

The management added there was gasoline inside the park because their Bumper Boat ride runs on the fuel.

Fire marshals also said the cotton stored in Star City could have sped up the spread of the fire, but the management said cotton in an amusement park is “not unusual because cotton filling is being used to stuff toys redeemed in games.”

Speculations that the fire was caused by arson first arose when a suspicious tweet saying “Star City is dead” was found on social media by Lisa Macuja, wife of the theme park’s owner Fred Elizalde.

However, the management said the person behind the tweet, whose account is no longer active, has clarified that the post was about a fictional city in DC Comics and not the amusement park in Pasay City. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News