ZAMBOANGA CITY - Fire gutted the municipal building of Sirawai town, Zamboanga del Norte and a nearby house at past midnight Tuesday.
Capt. Franco Suelto, public information officer of the Philippine Army's 1st Division, said the municipal building was guttd by a two-hour fire that started at around 12:45 a.m.
The municipal building housed the social welfare office, police station, and Office of the Mayor.
Suelto said that based on initial investigations, the fire started from the office of the local social welfare department.
Arson investigators believed that the fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring.
Meanwhile, the house that was also gutted by the fire was owned by retired policeman, Benjamin Caragan.
The fire also damaged a dump truck, a police vehicle, three motorcycles, a .30 caliber machinegun and assorted ammunition, eight M16 rifles, a shotgun rifle, two M203 grenade launchers and 10 rifle grenades.