by: Vanessa Bugtong

The financial management records room of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Cordillera (DPWH-CAR) was damaged by fire on Tuesday afternoon, January 14, prompting an ongoing investigation by authorities.

The incident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. and was reported to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) at around 5:25 p.m., after a utility worker noticed thick smoke coming from the records room.

Police immediately secured the area with caution tape following the incident.

According to the BFP, the fire was declared under control at 5:36 p.m. and fully extinguished at 5:43 p.m.

BFP Baguio City Public Information Officer SFO1 Lloyd Ashley Furigay said the cause of the fire is still being determined.

“Still under investigation. We are still determining the probable cause,” Furigay said.

The news team attempted to get a statement from the employee who was on duty at the time of the fire, but the individual declined to appear on camera.

However, the employee said no documents were burned in the incident.

Management of DPWH Cordillera also declined to issue a statement, but in a written release, the agency said only about two square meters of the storage room were affected by the fire.

DPWH-CAR added that it is coordinating with the BFP for the ongoing investigation.

Photos released by the agency showed several burned office items inside the records room.

Initial estimates placed the damage at around 35,000 pesos.

Meanwhile, two other fire incidents were recorded in Baguio City the same evening.

A house in Barangay Irisan caught fire at around 6:36 p.m., while a kitchen of another house in Barangay Military Cut-Off was damaged by fire at around 7:09 p.m.

Furigay said both fires were immediately responded to by firefighters and were successfully extinguished.

No injuries were reported in the three incidents.