Amid heavy rains, fires raze school in San Juan, 10 houses in Marikina
Amid the heavy rains, two fires gutted a school and 10 houses in the eastern part of Metro Manila on Friday night.
In Marikina City, a blaze began at 9:30 p.m. in the house of Nestor Glutas, located on Malaya St. in Libis Bulelak, Barangay (village) Malanday. Fire investigators said that the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but they said it was more likely caused by a candle left unattended or faulty electrical wiring.
“We have yet to see what it is that caused the fire in that area but those are possible causes,” Inspector Peterpaul Mendoza, case investigator, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Since the houses in the area were made primarily of light combustible materials, the blaze quickly spread to adjacent structures, prompting fire officials to hoist the fourth alarm at 9:55 p.m., or only 25 minutes after the blaze started.
Chest-deep floodwaters in the narrow sidestreets also made it difficult for firemen to reach the affected area.
“It took so long for the fire truck to get in because the floodwaters were too deep,” Mendoza said.
Despite the alarm, there were no reported casualties in the incident that is said to have affected some 15 families. Mendoza estimated the damage to property at P60,000.
Officials declared a fire out at 11:28 p.m.
A few minutes after the fire was put out in the shoe capital, another fire took place in San Juan City.
The third and fourth floors of the Tabernacle of Faith Christian Academy on J. Ruiz St., Barangay Salapan were gutted past midnight by a fire that investigators believe was caused by faulty electrical wiring.
Fire Officer 1 Jerome See of the San Juan City Fire Station told the Inquirer that the third alarm was hoisted at 12:38 a.m. after fire officials failed to put out the blaze sooner because the flames had spread quickly.
“It was a good thing that the fire happened when no one was there,” See said.
There were no reported casualties in the incident but fire officials estimated the damage to property at P5 million. A fire out was announced at 1:42 a.m.
