By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY – A fire that broke out Friday afternoon razed a classroom building at Bago City Elementary School in Barangay Poblacion, Bago City, Negros Occidental, causing an estimated PHP3 million in property damage.
The Bago City Fire Station has turned over the investigation to the Bureau of Fire Protection-Western Visayas for further probe, officials said.
Fire Officer 2 Joeman Alvarez, arson investigator, said the blaze destroyed four classrooms and a stock room.
No students were inside the building when the fire started around 3:45 p.m., as classes were only held for half a day, he said.
Alvarez added that the building, constructed in the 1960s, was made of light materials that quickly fueled the fire.
Firefighters were able to contain the flames before it could spread to nearby structures, he said.
Fire out was declared at 4:55 p.m., with no reported injuries.
Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo rushed to the scene to assess the situation and coordinate with emergency responders.
He said authorities are exploring all possible angles to determine the cause of the fire.
Since the structure is government property, BFP-6 will lead the official investigation, Alvarez said.
