Over P10 million worth of property was damaged when a two-hour fire engulfed a commercial establishment in Camalig, Albay at 7 a.m. Saturday.

The building is owned by a certain Fortun Tanchuling.

Initial investigation by the Bureau of Fire Protection revealed that the blaze started from the second-floor of the building and immediately spread to its lower level.

Delfin Magdaong, chief of the Camalig BFP said, “Yung mga books at parte ng tindahan na-damage na rin pati yung mga nasa ibaba nilamon na rin ng apoy (The books and parts of the store were damaged. Even the lower part was consumed by the fire).”

One person trapped inside the burning building was immediately rescued by responding firefighters and neighbors. Victim Pete Tanchuling suffered slight burns in the body and is recuperating at a hospital.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. BFP said it could have been sparked by either a candle or a gas lamp.

There had been no electricity in Camalig since supertyphoon Reming struck the province early this month.

Meanwhile, a Filipino Chinese volunteer firetruck from Legazpi City that was responding to the fire in Camalig crashed into a house in Purok Uno when it took an abrupt turn as it tried to evade a head-on collision with a delivery truck.

The driver of the firetruck was injured and is recovering in a hospital.