About P3 million in government and private properties, and P1.6 million in payroll money intended for teachers' salaries turned into ashes when a 10-minute fire hit the main building of Bacolod City National High School in Bacolod City at about 6:35 p.m. Tuesday.

Fire Officer 3 Cornelio Silva, arson investigator of the Bureau of Fire Protection, said that they have not yet determined the cause of fire that hit the BCNHS.

Although they recovered burned electrical arches from the room where the fire started, they cannot conclude yet that it was triggered by an electrical short circuit, Silva said.

Investigation showed that a resident who was passing in front of the building saw thick smoke coming out from the finance office and immediately reported it to the BFP.

BFP sent five fire trucks to the area and they were assisted by those of the Amity and Chamber fire volunteer brigades. The fire was put out at about 6:45 p.m. with no reported injuries to persons, Silva said.

Jose Dayot III, BCNHS principal, said that, from the finance office, the fire spread to his office, the library, the conference room, the administration office. The guidance office and the records room were also not spared.

Dayot said the school's main building is very old, having been built in 1948. He said the staff of the offices hit by the fire will temporarily use the cafeteria.

Dayot added that they will seek help from the Department of Budget Management so they can give the salaries of the teachers while they ask the City Engineer's Office to evaluate the total damage to the building.*APN

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