TANAUAN — Around 200 brand-new cars were destroyed in a massive fire that hit an industrial park in Barangay Pagaspas, Tanauan City, Batangas, on Sunday afternoon, Governor Hermilando Mandanas said.

The blaze broke out at around 1:19 p.m. in the stockyard of a food manufacturing company, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection-Tanauan City.

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Piles of spent bleaching earth or SBE chemicals in the stockyard could be the source of the fire, said F/Sr.Supt. Dennis Molo, Batangas provincial fire marshal.

SBE, a flammable and hazardous chemical, is a by-product of edible oil during the refining process, Molo said. 

"Flammable siya, [kapag] na-expose siya sa heat kusang nag-inite," he said. 

From the stockyard, the flames reached the open space of a logistics company, where brand-new cars were parked waiting for their scheduled delivery to several dealership outlets.

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Mandanas said more than 1,000 cars were parked in the open space and 200 caught fire.

"Mayroon silang dumpyard noong mga scrap na mga drums na may natitirang mga chemicals, 'yun ang nagliyab siguro sa init ng panahon," he said.

"From there naabot 'yung warehouse pero maganda 'yung warehouse dahil mayroong fire system na 'yung tubig kaagad pinatay ['yung apoy] kaya halos walang damage sa loob ng warehouse."

No injuries were reported from the fire that reached the third alarm.