Fire hits historic Metropolitan Theater

MANILA, Philippines — A portion of the iconic Metropolitan Theater was gutted by fire yesterday.

The blaze broke out at the Art Deco building, the oldest existing theater in the country, before 9 a.m., with firefighters raising second alarm shortly thereafter, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported.

The fire was put out at around 9:41 a.m., the BFP added.

In a statement, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) said the fire started on the first floor of the Padre Burgos wing, which was being renovated.

The flames did not spread to other parts of the theater.

No one was killed or hurt in the fire, which damaged only those items removed from the building as part of the renovation, the NCCA said.

The Met was designed by architect Juan Arellano and inaugurated in 1931. The theater was reopened in December last year after it was closed in 1996.

The building, declared a National Cultural Treasure, has hosted arts and culture events and served as a home to the works of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo and other prominent artists.

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