A forensic investigation has determined that a fire that heavily damaged offices of the state prosecutor’s office in Ojinaga was intentionally caused, according to officials with the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office.
Francisco Sáenz Soto, head of dispatch for the state attorney general’s office, said investigators concluded the blaze originated from an external flame and was not caused by an electrical short circuit or an accidental incident involving vehicles.
“The forensic report came back and clearly establishes that there was an external flame that caused the fire,” Sáenz Soto said, according to local reporting. Authorities are still conducting a deeper analysis to determine the precise origin of the blaze and whether it was deliberately set or caused by some other external factor.
The fire occurred in the early morning hours of May 19 at the offices of the Ministerial Investigation Unit in Ojinaga. Officials immediately opened an investigation to determine the cause.
Sáenz Soto said authorities are investigating whether the flame was directed intentionally but noted that investigators have not yet identified the exact point of origin or the type of material or fuel used.
The fire damaged multiple areas of the facility, including an evidence room, archive area and the office of the Ojinaga zone coordinator. Authorities said six vehicles were also destroyed in the blaze. The vehicles reportedly had been impounded and were being held after being reported stolen outside the country.
Additional offices sustained smoke and water damage as firefighters worked to extinguish the fire.
Officials said investigators are awaiting further forensic findings to determine what kind of combustible material or device may have been used to spark the fire.
