The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Wednesday assured the public that no documents related to the ongoing investigation into flood control project anomalies were lost in the fire that struck its Bureau of Research and Standards (BRS) office in Quezon City.
The BRS is the agency’s unit tasked with conducting research, studies, pilot testing, and policy formulation for government infrastructure initiatives.
In an official statement, the DPWH said that “initial findings indicate that the fire originated from a computer unit inside the Materials Testing Division that reportedly exploded.”
An investigation team has been deployed to assess the incident, the department added, noting that a thorough evaluation is underway to determine the full extent of the damage and implement measures to prevent similar occurrences.
According to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the blaze was reported at around 12:40 p.m. and quickly escalated, prompting authorities to raise a third alarm by 12:56 p.m. The fire was declared out by 1:50 p.m., with assistance from volunteer fire brigades.
