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MASBATE CITY – A fire gutted three classrooms and destroyed school facilities worth over P1 million in Dimasalang town in Masbate province on Monday (March 13), the local fire department said Tuesday (March 14).
According to Senior Fire Officer 3 Jessi Sese, officer-in-charge of the Dimasalang fire station, the fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring and left over P1,440,000 worth of damage. The Dimasalang Central School lost the classrooms, documents, textbooks, a newly acquired flatscreen TV, laptops, electric fans, chairs, and tables.
Investigation revealed that the fire started in one of the classrooms in the school located in Barangay (village) Poblacion at around 12:15 p.m. None of the students or school staff were present when the fire broke out as everyone is on their lunch break.
The Dimasalang Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), with the assistance of the Cataingan Central Fire Station, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) – Palanas, and other concerned citizens, and students, were able to put out the fire at around 1:30 p.m.
The Dimasalang BFP advises the public to take extra precautions such as regularly inspecting the building’s electrical system and ensuring the gas cylinder is closed after cooking to prevent fire. — Franshey Mae Drio, contributor