A fire broke out at an oil mill holding about 2,300 tons of copra in Barangay San Benito, Alaminos, Laguna early on Sunday, and continued to burn at press time on Monday.
No one was injured or killed in the fire, according to responding firemen.
Initial investigation revealed that the fire started after the mill lost power three times. When the electricity came back on, a spark ignited the copra or dried coconut meat, the main material used for oil products.
The fire destroyed two warehouses that contained the tons of copra, said Chief Insp. Adrian Dela Cruz, Fire Marshal of the San Pablo Fire Station.
The responding firemen faced difficulty in extinguishing the fire due to the oil products and the volume of what was burning.
The firefighters were prompted to apply a fire suppressant called AFFF, used to extinguish flammable liquid fires such as fuel fires.
The guards manning the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)-District Office of San Pablo City, which is adjacent to the burning oil mill, evacuated when the fire spread near three oil storage tanks around 5 a.m.
Arson probers are also investigating the source of the blaze.