Fire at the National Archives in Binondo Manila. INQUIRER / Marianne Bermudez
The fire that broke out at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Land Management Bureau office (DENR-LMB) in Binondo, Manila on Monday has dispersed to three other buildings nearby, including the National Archives of the Philippines (NAP).
Authorities said the blaze managed to spread to nearby buildings as firefighters faced difficulty in putting out the fire because of light materials and documents in the affected offices.
Fire Officer 1 Ma. Theresa Dalisay said in an interview with Inquirer.net that the fire, which has reached Task Force Charlie alarm as of this posting, started at DENR-LMB office located inside Plaza Cervantes Building along Quintin Paredes Street around 12:29 a.m. Monday.
READ: Fire hits DENR-LMB office in Manila
Dalisay said a Manila fireman and a volunteer were reported to have sustained minor injuries due to the incident.
Manila Fire officials have blocked the streets of Quintin Paredes, San Vicente, Juan Luna, and Muelle dela Industria, as the fire raged on the four buildings, according to a DZMM report.
The DENR Central Office, meanwhile, said they are coordinating with authorities and the LMB for updates.
“We are saddened by the fire that consumed the whole building of our Land Management Bureau (LMB) in Binondo, Manila. We will closely coordinate with the Bureau of Fire Protection and LMB for further updates.” DENR said in a post on its Twitter account. Gabriel Pabico Lalu INQUIRER.net /kga