Fire hits Cotabato police barracks

COTABATO CITY - A fire of still unknown origin gutted down a police barracks and a residential house Saturday afternoon at PC Hill, this city, fire officials said.Fire Inspector Jame Rah, Cotabato City fire office spokesperson, said the fire started at past 2 p.m.at a wooden structure used as temporary home of a police officer and his family in Barangay Rosary Heights 1.Rah said an old police building, a residential home, twovehicles andseveral quarters for police officers were razed to the ground.No casualty reported and the firewas declared under control about 3 p.m.Fire officials are still
accounting the extent of damage and the cause of conflagration.

An eyewitness,Flor Dimabildo whose house was near the fire scene,said she noticed black smoke billowing up and thought it was a chimney. I saw black smoke then
suddenly it became a monstrous fire, I yelled there’s a fire, she told reporters. But despite quick response from neighbors to put off the conflagration, to no avail as the fire quickly spread to other parts of the police barracks, Dimabildo said.Arson investigators are still investigating after witnesses said they heard gun bursts while the fire was in progress.A police officer who reside at the old building was teary eyed watching helplessly fire ate up his home. In just few minutes, all of our
hardly earned investments were gone,” he said, adding that he was thankful just the same as his wife and children were unharmed.