The Clark Development Corporation is thankful that during the fire at Yokohama Tire Philippines, Inc. that no employees of the tire manufacturing firm inside Clark Freeport Zone was seriously injured or harm. Though two employees of Yokohama, who help in putting out the fire, were brought to nearby hospital for minor inhalation injuries.
For the information of the Public, the Fire and Rescue Section of the Public Safety Division (PSD) of CDC was first to arrive at the scene when PSD received calls/fire alarm at about 3:20 PM leading Japanese tire manufacturer and exporter in Clark. Aside from the Fire & Rescue team, also present on the scene were PSD Police Officers, Traffic Section, CDC-Paramedics and Special Reaction Unit (SRU), including those of off-duty FRS personnel that provided security assistance.
But because of the materials at the YTPI warehouse are highly combustible, the fire spread immediately where the rubber tires are located that prompted the CDC to seek assistance or coordinated to other firms who have firefighting equipment to help contain the fire.
With the CDC’s coordination with other group, immediately responding in in the call for assistance were from Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) coming from different municipalities and cities namely: BFP- Angeles City, BFP-Mabalacat City, BFP- Bamban, BFP-Magalang, BFP-Tarlac City and BFP-Porac. Followed by the different Fire Brigade/Volunteers Team from different areas namely: Office of Civil Defense in Region 3, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Fire Department, Taguig City Fire Volunteer, Metro Raja Fire Volunteer, Quezon City Fire Volunteer, Recto Fire Volunteer, Manila Fire Volunteer and Dee Hwa Liong Fire Volunteer. Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) Fire Department also responded at the scene.
As the administrator of this Freeport, the state-run firm through the leadership of CDC President -CEO Noel F. Manankil ensures that lives and property are safe.
Fire brought out at the YTPI Warehouse and Production Area Phase 3.
In the initial investigation conducted by the Fire and Rescue Section of PSD said fire originated at Store 51, Phase 3, East Plant were finish product tires are stored. Two of the YTPI employees: Enrico Pineda and Randy Dizon suffered from minor suffocation, difficult of breathing and nausea due to over exposure from smoke from the burning building and immediately rush to The Medical City-Clark for medical attention.
No casualties and other damages was noted during the fire incident.
With the coordination of CDC, Clark International Airport Corporation, other local government units, including the regional office of the Bureau of Fire Protection, and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority immediately dispatched their fire and rescue teams to help put out the fire at Yokohama which was declared fire out at 6:30 p.m.
A parallel investigation between PSD-FRS and BFP is still on process and a progress report will follow.
CDC President-CEO Noel F. Manankil assured that the Fire and Rescue Team, including the firefighting equipment, of CDC is in place to provide assistance and ensure safety of the locators in Clark.
Manankil also stressed that CDC is also ready anytime to provide assistance to outside the Freeport should similar incident/calamity would occur.