Rockwell was on Fire

It was around 7:30pm+ when I got a call from my good friend Tina of Ilaya Couture. She was panicking. Apparently a fire had broken out at Rockwell.

And I was at Rockwell. I was having early dinner with friends Vic and Millete at Cibo on the 3rd floor. I rushed down immediately to check if there really was a fire.

Suddenly I saw throngs of people rushing toward me as I reached the 2nd floor where our shop, Accessory Lab was. Everyone was running away from the Archaeology side. My phone rang. It was my girls from Accessory Lab. I didn’t answer as I was fighting to get to Accessory Lab, with all the people trying to get away from the very direction I was headed. I heard the faint sound of the fire alarm coming from Archaeology.

I instructed my girls to leave. They wouldn’t leave my side, so we went back in to store whatever valuables we had and take whatever we can get before we locked the shop. We had about a minute.

I was stupid. I rushed back in again just as we were closing the door and I insisted my girls leave already without me. I had heard that the fire came from Sumosam. I figured I had some time before it gets to us, if, heaven forbid, it does.

I am very stubborn this way. Calm took over me as I moved around the store to save what can be saved in case the fire would reach our area. I took the bags and whatever else valuables I could get my hands on, and stuffed all the small things inside my bag. I logged off our POS computer system and turned off the main switch on the circuit breaker just as the Security Guard yelled to me that I should already get out, get out, get out. The smoke was very close to my area.

I yelled back saying I will be out. I offered a silent prayer for the store just as I double bolted the door. I heard the Security Guard say over his walkie-talkie that I was the only one left in the 2nd floor. I saw the thick smoke enveloping the corridors of my store just seconds after I had walked away. I was lugging around so much stuff, and I was wearing heels!!!

I stayed by the escalator area long enough to take these photos, with about six or seven things in my hands which I had temporarily parked on the bench. Everyone was panicking. There were old women that were in wheelchairs that had to be carried down from the 3rd floor.

Eventually, I went down to the ground floor to the fountain area by Zara. It was chaos, but the Security Guards of Rockwell were quite organized amidst all the chaos. I saw a 7 or 8 year old girl reunited with her mother, who had briefly lost her. They were both crying. My heart went out to them, but I was glad they were together again.

I saw the thick smoke which had already creeped down to the ground floor, where Kate Spade was.

It was really scary. There were so many people where I was, just waiting. Hoping that the fire was put out. Eventually we heard that the firemen had been able to contain it. I was getting phonecalls from people, friends, and fellow tenants of Rockwell.

I was lucky that I was actually at Rockwell tonight. And more grateful that I decided against bringing my children (which I’d normally do). Considering my children had been nagging me to take them to Sumosam for dinner (it’s one of their favorite restaurants). And when they get bored, they normally stay in National Bookstore. I was glad tonight was not one of those nights they were with me.

Thank God. And I hope no one was hurt. And special thanks to all the people who had called me and sent me messages asking if I was ok.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERNS, you all know who you are. And THANKS also to M.Pineda of Rockwell Power Plant Mall for staying calm for everyone all throughout, and keeping everyone abreast on the latest developments. We were eventually allowed back into our store (about an hour and a half later) to complete what we had not finished, all this while we were accompanied by Security.

What a scary Saturday this had turned out to be. I’m just glad that we are all ok.

P.S. Regular mall operation hours at Rockwell apparently resume tomorrow 🙂

x
Mrs.T