According to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, some sensitive documents were damaged in the fire that struck the regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DPWH-CAR) in Baguio City. Investigators from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the blaze affected a large vault inside the DPWH-CAR office, which reportedly contained sensitive documents. The vault is fireproof, and its contents, duplicate copies of DPWH records already submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA), were largely protected. However, Magalong said some sensitive documents outside the vault were burned. "He gave instruction to continue securing the site and not allow anyone to enter," Magalong said. So 24/7, we prohibit anybody, including DPWH personnel, from entering that site while our scene of the crime investigation is ongoing," Magalong said. Based on initial findings, the mayor said the fire originated from the building's stock room. Some witnesses reported seeing sparks from an electric post near the building, followed by fluctuations in electrical current and the smell of something burning. The BFP central office will lead the investigation, while an initial probe by the BFP-Baguio City office indicated that the fire affected the storage room for financial management records. Personnel have already retrieved samples and evidence from the scene for laboratory testing to determine the cause of the fire. "We have taken samples and evidence for lab testing that they will now send to the national headquarters for verification," said SFO1 Lloyd Furigay, public information officer of the BFP-Baguio City office. He added that authorities are waiting for the results of the investigation and the official statement from DPWH to determine the full extent of the damage. "Probably it would take about five days," he said.
