Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Short-circuit caused UB High fire: official
By Ernie N. Olson Jr.
THE fire that razed the University of Baguio Preparatory High School (UBPHS) and damaged three other establishments was not caused by an overheated computer voltage regulator as originally thought, but short-circuit in the ceiling of the school's faculty room, said a fire official.
Baguio Fire Marshal Jovencio Marquez said short-circuit resulted when the rubber insulation of electrical wires were damaged over a period of time by a steel crosspiece laid across them.
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This, as it was revealed that P18,761,500 in damage was wrought on the UBPHS building, P11,267,385 on the Fernando B. Bautista (FBB) building and another P34,707,115 on the Rosa C. Bautista (RCB) dome, for a total of P64,736,000. Dangwa Enterprises, on the other hand, pegged the amount of damage on their bus terminal at P623,417, for a grand total of P65,359,417.
"Our investigators recovered No. 14 solid copper wire with pellets at the faculty room believed to have been remnants of PDX AWG solid copper wire," Marquez said.
"It could be theorized with respect to the principle of electricity that the rubber insulation of the PDX 2-wires could have been side-cut or damaged due to constant movements by the sharp edges of a crosspiece or steel matting which was laid across the route of the wires," he explained.
When the insulators were torn away, Marquez said, the bare live wires freely touched the crosspiece, which served as a conductor capable of causing short-circuit in the electrical system.
As a result, electrical sparks were produced in the ceiling of the UBPHS faculty room where bulbs were installed, and these acted as the weakest part of the circuit at par with the circuit breaker's amperage rating, which consequently ignited the bulk of papers, plywood and other combustible materials nearby.
Meanwhile, it was learned that UBPHS and the FBB buildings were both insured with Prudential Guarantee in the amounts of P20 million and P97,898,420.55, respectively, while the RCB dome, which was partly damaged, was insured with Malayan Insurance for P142,677,739.
The blaze that started from the UB campus before noon last February 16 was reported to be the largest to hit the Cordillera region in almost 20 years.
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (March 5, 2008 issue)
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