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fire destroyed much of the Central Java Police headquarters on Jl. Pahlawan in Semarang on Wednesday, forcing law enforcers to evacuate dozens of detainees.

No fatalities were reported in the blaze, which was reportedly caused by an electrical short circuit.

Under tight security, 74 male and female detainees were moved in trucks and buses to other places of detention, such as Semarang Police headquarters and other police stations, as the fire, which broke around 11 a.m., took hold and gutted most of the three-story building.

Central Java Police Planning Division head Adj. Sr. Comr. Suherman said that many parts of the B building, including offices for human resources, planning, the inspectorate and a main hall, were burned out by the fire.

The blaze also destroyed 100 motorcycles parked at the headquarters, while police managed to salvage dozens of firearms from a warehouse inside the fire-ravaged building, which was built in the 1990s.

Dozens of fire trucks and hundreds of firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze and to prevent the fire from spreading to the A building.

Two police water cannons were also deployed to douse the flames on the bridge that connected the two buildings. The firefighters took three hours to bring the fire under control.

The fire caused heavy traffic congestion on nearby streets, such as Jl. Diponegoro, Jl. Veteran and Jl. Pahlawan as police officers closed down parts of the streets to make way for the fire trucks.

Semarang Fire Department operational head Sumarsono said the fire was suspected to have originated on the second floor of the building.

Meanwhile, Central Java deputy police chief Brig. Gen. Musyafak said it was believed that the blaze was caused by an electrical short circuit.

'€œBefore the fire, I was in a meeting on the second floor. But at 11:17, suddenly there is a black out. I also heard something burning. I then dispersed the meeting,'€ Musyafak told reporters.

Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Nur Ali who was in Wonogiri police station, ordered an investigation after arriving at the scene.

'€œFirst, we should extinguish the fire then investigate the cause of the fire,'€ he added.

Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Liliek Darmanto said all data in the departments that were destroyed had been saved. '€œAll the data on important information and files have been backed up.'€

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo who is on a working visit to Suriname, was reportedly monitoring the blaze, and tweeted that the fire would soon be brought under control.

'€œHopefully, it can be dealt with soon,'€ Ganjar tweeted through his account @ganjarpranowo.

The Central Java administration offered space to allow employees from the destroyed headquarters to work. '€œMaybe temporarily in the Peace building,'€ Deputy Governor Heru Sudjatmoko said.

Five departments, including intelligence, human resources and the inspectorate, will be relocated to the Peace building.