By Benjamin Cuaresma
A fire broke out at the second floor of Manila City Hall early Wednesday morning, damaging portions of the Office of the Vice Mayor and disrupting several public assistance services operating in the area.
The Bureau of Fire Protection reported that the blaze reached the first alarm at around 5:57 a.m., was placed under control at about 6:15 a.m., and was declared fully extinguished at 6:21 a.m.
Initial information indicated that the fire started in the kitchen area of the Office of the Vice Mayor, which is located beside the Manila City Hall Press Club office.
The office is headed by Vice Mayor Angela Lei “Chi” Atienza.
BFP officials said no one was injured because there were no people inside the office when the fire broke out. They also reported that no important documents were destroyed in the blaze.
However, firefighting operations affected nearby service offices. Water used to suppress the fire reportedly damaged some documents in offices providing assistance to Manila residents, including the Crisis Intervention Unit and the Persons with Disability Office.
Several residents, including senior citizens, had already arrived at City Hall in the early hours of Wednesday to seek medical, legal and social welfare assistance when the fire disrupted operations.
Atienza assured residents that her office would continue serving the public despite the damage. She said the affected area would be cleaned and temporary tables would be set up outside the office to allow her staff to continue assisting residents.
Operations in other portions of Manila City Hall continued because the fire did not spread to the rest of the building.
The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage remain under investigation.
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