RAZED These drone photos, taken after a massive fire hit 450 houses in the Palawan capital city of Puerto Princesa, shows the extent of damage left by the blaze on Wednesday morning.
—PHOTO COURTESY OF PUERTO PRINCESA CITY INFORMATION OFFICE
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—Almost 500 houses, built beside a cruise ship port that is under construction, were razed by a five-hour fire in two coastal barangays here, leaving at least 920 families homeless early Wednesday.
A report from Fire Officer 1 Zyra Mae Alba of the City Fire Department said at least 200 houses from Barangay Pagkakaisa and 250 houses from Barangay Bagong Silang were hit by the blaze that started around 2:25 a.m. The fire was put out at 8 a.m.
The local fire department estimated the property losses at P3.5 million.
Investigators said the blaze started at an abandoned house in Bagong Silang.
“The cause of the fire is still under investigation although some residents told us that a nephew of the owner of the house where the fire started visited last night and cooked food and then left the charcoal-powered stove with a blower,” Senior Fire Officer 1 Mark Anthony Llacuna, fire department spokesperson, said in an interview.
Strong winds
Around 420 families from Barangay Pagkakaisa and 500 families from Barangay Bagong Silang have been temporarily housed at the Puerto Princesa City Pilot Elementary School. They will receive assistance from the city government.
Residents said strong winds coming from the sea caused the fire to spread quickly to the houses which were mostly made from light materials. Most of them escaped the fire but did not save anything.
READ: 920 families displaced after fire hit 2 Puerto Princesa villages
They ran out to the streets while others scampered off to the sea as the tide was low, with some children jumping into the waters for safety.
It was the third fire incident to hit the city this year. On Jan. 17, eight houses were burned in Barangay San Miguel and while another was destroyed in Barangay Tagburos on Jan. 24.