IBA, Zambales —Around P260-million worth of properties and merchandise went up in smoke when fire burned down the capital town’s public market Tuesday night, leaving owners to celebrate New Year with tragedy.

Prosecutor Adhebert Deloso, one of the witnesses who first arrived at the scene, said the fire started in three different locations of the market.

Son of Governor Amor Deloso, Adhebert said that around 200 stalls were already engulfed in flames when local firefighters came.

He added that the local firefighters were unprepared for the situation, adding that the local firefighters even deployed an empty water truck to the area.

“I was attending a late Christmas party in one of the councilor’s residence when the fire started. We were just 300 meters away from the market,” Deloso said.

Help came when the firefighting divisions of the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA), and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).