Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 11) — A “minor” fire broke out at Glorietta 2’s roof deck Monday evening, which was contained after 20 minutes.
Fire Officer 1 Gerald Flores of the Makati Fire Station said a curtain draped from the mall ceiling caught sparks from a welding equipment in a nearby construction area.
In its official statement, Glorietta said no one was reported injured and the cause of fire is still under investigation.
Glorietta, one of the 17 Ayala Malls all over the Philippines, is a large shopping hub in Makati with five buildings adjacent to each other.
A month ago, another Ayala Mall in Quezon City caught fire.
Read: Fire hits TriNoma mall
But for Glorietta, it’s the fourth time the mall will be back in business after disasters force its customers to evacuate its premises.
In November 2016, a fire hit part of Glorietta 3 in the evening. The incident started in the kitchen of a restaurant on the third floor.
Read: Fire hits part of Glorietta 3
Ten years ago, on October 22, 2007, a fire also broke out at Glorietta 4. No casualties were reported in the incident, and the fire was attributed to faulty electrical wiring.
This happened two days after an explosion hit Glorietta 2, killing 11 people and injuring more than 100 others. Ayala Malls attributed the blast to a bomb while police say it was due to a gas buildup.
Ayala’s biggest competitor, SM Supermalls, also had its share of disasters after SM Cubao and SM Mall of Asia in Pasay caught fire in August 2016 and October 2014, respectively.
Read: BFP declares ‘fire out’ at SM Cubao
Under the 2008 Fire Code of the Philippines, malls are required to put in place sufficient fire exits and alarm systems, as well as wet standpipes and automatic sprinklers.
Shopping malls are also required to conduct fire drills at least twice a year.
