The Expreso Peruvian daily reported that the fire occurred in the morning hours in Auditorium 10 of the UVK theater chain, shortly before a special press screening of the "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" film.
According to the newspaper, "the authorities reported that the flames spread because of a highly flammable type of insulation which covers the wall of this movie theater to contain sound."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Infierno en Larcomar <a href="https://t.co/IJrlZKEdCC">https://t.co/IJrlZKEdCC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CGBVP_Oficial">@CGBVP_Oficial</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/congresoperu">@congresoperu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PoliciaPeru">@PoliciaPeru</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/fzavalal">@fzavalal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ppkamigo">@ppkamigo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MuniMiraflores">@MuniMiraflores</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/pcmperu">@pcmperu</a> <a href="https://t.co/UsfqshugaU">pic.twitter.com/UsfqshugaU</a></p>— Diario Expreso Perú (@ExpresoPeru) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExpresoPeru/status/799299759362154496">November 17, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Fr. Christopher was among those who responded. In addition to working as a parish priest in a church on the outskirts of Lima, he also works as chaplain for the Miraflores Volunteer Fireman's Company three part-days per week.
The priest came to Peru in 1981 and joined the Peruvian Fire Department after the earthquake that leveled the city of Pisco in 2007.
Certified in several courses by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the United States, Fr. Christopher has also completed certification in psychology and patient management in disasters, strengthening his commitment to the firemen's company.