Fire hits old PNP Internal Affairs building in Camp Crame

A fire gutted the old Internal Affairs Service building of the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame Sunday evening.

 

According to information from the Quezon City Fire Department, the fire started around 7:30 p.m., and went up to third alarm a few minutes before 8 p.m.

Firefighters managed to completely put the fire out half an hour later but not before it caused an estimated P50,000 in damage to property.

 

Quezon City Fire Marshal F/Supt. Jesus Fernandez, meanwhile, said no documents of the PNP Internal Affairs Service were affected by the fire as the IAS had moved offices to another building inside the camp.

 

The building that burned down, Fernandez said, was up for renovation.

The PNP confirmed that no documents were damaged in the fire.

 

Fire authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, but Fernandez pointed out electrical short circuits may have started it.

 

A striker of the PNP-IAS, meanwhile, was injured in the fire.

 

Julius Nicolas told reporters that he was sleeping inside the old PNP-IAS building when he woke up to the smell of smoke and nearly suffocated.

He had lacerations on his hands and feet from breaking the glass windows of the building to reach safety.

 

Fire volunteers and safety officials from the QC Disaster Risk Reduction and Management office gave Nicolas first aid. — JDS/KG, GMA News