Baguio City Public Market hit by fire

Fire broke out at the Baguio City Public Market on Saturday evening.

The fire started at 11:08 p.m., according to Baguio City Fire Station chief Fire Superintendent Marisol Odiver in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

The market's Blocks 3 and 4 were affected. These areas housed stalls selling clothes and souvenirs, Odiver said.

The fire reached the fourth alarm before it was put out at 4:38 a.m. on Sunday.

No one was hurt in the fire, Odiver said.

Fire investigators are still assessing the estimated cost of property damage and determining the possible cause of the fire.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said 1,700 stalls were affected by the fire, according to a report by News Live.

He said displaced vendors will be allowed to use the market streets for the meantime while negotiations are ongoing for the relocation site under a public-private partnership (PPP) project.

"Siguro initially siguro, sa kalsada muna natin ilalagay kasi hindi pa naman ready 'yung ating relocation site, hindi pa natapos ang ating proseso ng PPP. But I hope na ma-fast track lahat 'yan para tuloy-tuloy ang pagtatayo ng relocation site at talagang ma-rehabilitate natin itong palengke," Magalong said in a video posted on Facebook on Sunday by the Baguio City Public Order and Safety Division.

(Maybe initially, we will allow them to use the streets since our relocation is not yet ready. We have not yet finished the process for the PPP. But I hope that can be fast-tracked so the relocation site can be put up and we can rehabilitate the public market.) —KG, GMA Integrated News