ARMS on each other’s shoulders as if to lend their strength to the main man wielding the nuzzle of the hose, firefighters battle the second fire that struck the Parola Compound in Tondo, Manila, Tuesday afternoon. Another blaze, which displaced more than 6,000 families, broke out in the area Monday night. Joan Bondoc
MANILA, Philippines—Firefighters were kept busy battling blazes that broke out in three informal-settler communities in Manila and Quezon City between Monday night and Tuesday morning, leaving almost 7,000 families homeless.
Hardest hit was Parola Compound in Tondo, Manila, where more than 6,000 families living in houses made of light materials were displaced.
Two fires struck the area between Monday night and Tuesday afternoon although it was the first one that did the most damage.
The first one began at Gate 14 of the Parola Compound at 6:27 p.m. on Monday. The flames spread up to Gate 56, affecting an area covering five to eight hectares, according to Johnny Yu, head of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
The blaze lasted for about 12 hours before it was placed under control at 6:23 a.m. Tuesday, SFO2 Edilberto Cruz said.
The fire which was declared out more than 30 minutes later at 7:06 a.m. reached the general alarm, the highest level which meant that all available trucks in Metro Manila were required to rush to the site and help out, Cruz added.
All in all, more than 6,000 families were displaced after the blaze razed around 2,500 homes, Yu said.
Authorities were just starting to relax when another fire broke out in the area, this time at Gate 1 of the Parola Compound around 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
This time, the blaze was more manageable, reaching Task Force Bravo before it was placed under control at 2:33 p.m.
Yu estimated that 700 families lost their homes in the second fire.
Aside from the Delpan and Baseco evacuation centers, the fire victims were also housed at the Tondo Sports Complex, Coast Guard and Department of Public Works and Highways offices in Baseco, he said.
In a television interview, Vice Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso urged the Manila Electric Co. to inspect electrical wiring in Tondo communities to prevent the outbreak of more fires.
At the same time, he assured the victims that local officials would provide them with food, medical and material assistance to rebuild their homes.
In Payatas, Quezon City, an unattended candle was believed to have caused the nearly two-hour blaze that destroyed the houses of 25 families on Monday evening.
The fire which started at 8:20 p.m. and reached the fourth alarm at 8:54 p.m., razed a total of 20 houses made of light materials in the Albania Compound on Payatas Road.
It was put out at 10:14 p.m. with no casualty reported. Fire investigators estimated the cost of damage to property at P100,000.
According to Quezon City fire marshal Supt. Jesus Fernandez, the flames started in the house of live-in partners Ailyn Reginaldo and Totoy Lagata.
The couple were using a candle that evening as their illegal electrical “jumper” was not working, Fernandez said.