₱17M up in flames: Massive fire razes poultry farm in Solana, Cagayan

Solana, Cagayan – What began as an ordinary morning at a poultry farm in Barangay Nangalisan, Solana, quickly turned into a devastating fire on the morning of July 2, leaving an estimated ₱17 million worth of property destroyed.

According to the Cagayan Provincial Information Office, the affected facility was Maristle Poultry Farm, owned by Dr. Mario Genovesa, an internal medicine specialist based in Tuguegarao City and one of the founding incorporators of the Divine Mercy Wellness Center.

The fire broke out at around 6:30 a.m., engulfing a poultry building used to house chickens and store slats and other poultry equipment.

In an exclusive interview with 95.7 XFM Tuguegarao, BFP Solana Fire Marshal Inspector Nestor Parallag said the building fortunately did not contain any chickens at the time of the fire and was mainly filled with insulation materials.

No injuries or fatalities were reported.

"Bale walang laman na manok, bale ang mostly na content niya ay insulator. Double walling siya tapos may insulator sa taas kaya yung buga--yung color ng usok niya is black kasi puro combustible material. Mainit daw kaya nilagyan nila ng insulator yung bobida niya," he said.

Parallag added that the poultry farm has been operating for nearly a decade and had also experienced a previous fire incident.

In a separate statement, farm caretaker Butch Borquillo said the employees did not immediately notice the smoke because the facility was closed and they were having coffee when the fire started.

The blaze escalated to the second alarm, prompting additional firefighting units to respond after it exceeded the capacity of the initial responders. After nearly two hours of firefighting operations, the fire was declared under control at around 8:15 a.m.

Meanwhile, authorities are investigating the facility's electrical wiring as one of the possible causes of the fire. However, the exact cause has yet to be determined as the investigation remains ongoing.