BACOLOD CITY – A fire hit the Colegio de Santa Rita in Barangay V, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on Monday, August 14.
A FIRE gutted the old building and a portion of the new building of Colegio de Santa Rita in Barangay V, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on Monday, August 14. Damage to property was placed at P18 million. (Photo courtesy of City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office)
Fire Officer 3 Joseph Earl Solivio, chief investigator of the San Carlos City Fire Station, said the blaze reportedly originated from the Treasurer’s Office on the ground floor of the old building around 7:14 p.m.
Since the old building is made of mixed concrete and light materials, the fire immediately spread to the adjacent new building, he added.
Solivio said the old building, and the second and third floors of the new building, were totally damaged in the fire.
He said they had difficulty going to the area because of some cars parked on the roadside that blocked the way to the school.
Fire out was declared past 12 midnight, August 15. No injuries were reported, according to Solivio.
Damage to property was placed at P18 million.
Arson investigators have yet to determine the cause of fire.
The school had just started classes on Monday 14 when the fire happened.
San Carlos City Mayor Rene Gustilo, who responded to the area, said that he was saddened about the incident.
“Seeing this iconic building ablaze saddens me so much, just like all of us. It has long been the city's mighty edifice for decades, that resembled as a great institution of quality Christian Education that shaped thousands of lives,” Gustilo said in a Facebook post.
The building may have fallen, but the values and teachings remain, as its true foundation are those who passionately impart their knowledge to every student who seek to learn, and want to build a better future, he added.
Let us have faith and hope for Colegio de Santa Rita to continue to bring better education for all. CSR will rise again, the mayor said.