BFP, NBI probe second Iligan fire

ILIGAN City (16 Feb 2018) - After the fire that razed seven stores along Aguinaldo Street on February 7, a second fire destroyed a number of office complexes, including a private school on February 13 prompting an investigation by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Senior Fire Officer 1 Ruel Lee, BFP chief investigator, said the second fire gutted a larger commercial block on Badelles Extension in Barangay Pala-o which started at the warehouse of Double Tap Security Agency inside U&J complex and spread towards Santo Nino Academy de Iligan, a private school also owned by U&J.

The entire school was totally burned but the U&J building was partially damaged.  But the teachers said there were no classes on that day because of tropical storm "Basyang."

Also located in the area is the office of Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) that is now occupied by the NBI.  Acting NBI agent-in-charge Jam Dimaporo said the office of the chief and the agents' quarters were burned but the clearance processing section was spared.

The BFP estimated the initial damage at PhP1-million citing faulty wiring that could have caused the fire. [Ted Khan Juanite, The Manila Times]