Fire that destroyed Manila post office an ‘accident,’ says BFP

THE fire that gutted the historic Manila Central Post Office building in Liwasang Bonifacio in April was an accident, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

With this conclusion, the BFP has declared the investigation into the cause of the blaze closed and solved.

History burns Firefighters battle the fire at the Post Office building in Manila on Monday, May 22, 2023. AFP Photo 

Based on the fire clearance certificate issued by the BFP, the fire originated in the southern part of the basement, specifically at the Mega Manila Storage Room (GSS) where office supplies, thinners, and paint cans were piled in close proximity to car batteries.

The BFP report stated that the “combustibility of the load contents” and its enclosed set-up resulted in the build up of heat that caused an explosion.

Based on the pieces of evidence gathered, the statements of the witnesses, and the result of the laboratory examinations, the cause of the fire was the “sudden self-discharge of the car batteries resulting in a thermal run-away.”

The blaze started at 11:41 p.m. on May 21 and was put out 31 hours after.

The initial cost of damage was ₱300 million.

In a statement, Postmaster General Luis Carlos welcomed the result of the investigation undertaken by the BFP.

The building, designed in the neoclassical style by Filipino architects Juan Arellano and Tomas Mapua and completed in 1926, serves as the home of the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost).

— Franco Jose C. Baroña

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