264 families lose homes in Santa Cruz fire

MANILA INFERNO Firemen battle a fire that broke out on Quiricada Street in Santa Cruz on Tuesday. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — Nathaniel Macapagal, 57, could only look on as firefighters tried to put out the flames that were gutting his house on Quiricada Street corner Rizal Avenue in Santa Cruz, Manila on Tuesday.

All that he and his family were left with were the clothes they were wearing.

“We couldn’t even bring with us other appliances or food because the fire spread quickly,” he told the Inquirer.

Macapagal’s family was among the 264 that lost their houses. Senior Supt. Rodolfo Denaga, Manila fire marshal, said the blaze started at 11:50 a.m. in the three-story home of Jennifer Garcia and quickly spread to nearby houses, mostly made of light materials.

Authorities pegged the damage at P800,000, although investigation was still under way on the cause of the fire.

At 12:24 p.m., or just under an hour after the fire started, officials raised the alarm level to Task Force Bravo, prompting firemen from other districts to respond.

The Bureau of Fire Protection said that around 100 houses were destroyed in the blaze, which was declared out at 2:22 p.m. Denaga confirmed that there were no recorded fatalities.

Two unidentified fire volunteers, however, were injured after they were hit by a sheet of galvanized iron.

The affected families were asked to evacuate to the nearby Rizal covered court, where they would be temporarily sheltered and provided meals by the city government.