BACOLOD City – The City Legal Office has been tasked to investigate the fire incident that struck the third floor of the New Government Center.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia directed CLO head Leonardia Bayatan to lead the investigation and submit a report not later than Oct. 23.
Leonardia’s directive was stipulated in Memorandum Order No. 14.
“The investigation will cover structural and electrical aspects. The building is considered old because it is more than 10 years but the emergency system is still functional,” Bayatan said.
It was around 6:24 a.m. on Oct. 14 when several fire trucks of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) responded to a fire call at the government center.
According to City Administrator Em Ang, a Public Order and Safety Office guard assigned at the government center noticed a burning smell on the third floor, particularly in one of the administrative offices.
The estimated cost of damage was pegged at P50,000.
The BFP declared a “fire out” at around 7:08 a.m.
Ang said the sprinklers functioned and the fire only damaged computers, tables and some documents.
Arson investigator is still looking into the origin of the fire, but they suspect it could be electrical in nature, Ang added./PN
