Rude awakening for 100 families

Two fires broke out after midnight Sunday in Quezon City and Manila and left 100 families homeless.

The first one started at 12:18 a.m. in Sampaloc, Manila, and raged for an hour before it was put out.

Fortunately, no one was reported killed or hurt among the residents in the area.

Arson investigator Emmanuel Gaspar said the fire started at 794 Cebu St., in a house owned by Evelyn Galvez.

The flames, however, spread to four more houses, displacing a total of 10 families.

Packed residential area

“It was a residential area that was densely packed so the fire spread quickly,” Gaspar told the Inquirer over the phone.

Damage to property was estimated at P200,000 although the cause of the blaze was still under investigation, Gaspar said.

In Quezon City, at least 90 families lost their homes when a two-hour fire broke out on Katipunan Street in the Commonwealth area.

City fire marshal Bobby Baruelo said that 30 houses were destroyed in the blaze that started at 3:33 a.m. in the house of Charles Navarro.

Fourth alarm

The fire reached the fourth alarm before it was put out at 5:19 a.m.

Baruelo said the blaze destroyed around P3.5 million worth of property.

Like the first fire, there were no deaths reported although two persons were injured this time—a resident and a fireman.

It was not immediately clear, however, how the injuries were sustained and what their condition were.

According to the fire official, the cause of the blaze was still being determined.—With Jaymee T. Gamil