More than 90 families were left homeless when a fire of still- unknown origin razed a densely populated barangay in Pasay City early Friday morning.
No one was hurt in the four-hour blaze but the fire gutted at least 50 houses, mostly built with light materials, police said.
Arson investigators said the blaze started from the house of a certain Tomas Gezmundo of Barangay 186 Lower Maricaban around 2:40 a.m. They added the fire reached fourth alarm.
Fire officials have not yet determined the cause of the blaze but residents claimed an unattended candle may have cause the fire, adding that there is no electricity in the area.
Responding firemen and volunteers coming from different stations in Pasay and cities of Makati and Paranaque City had difficulty entering the area as the streets in the barangay were narrow. They declared the fire under control before 6 a.m.
This is the fifth fire in Pasay City since January this year.
The Metro Manila Development Authority said more than 600 fires were recorded in the first two months in the National Capital Region.
“In 2013, we recorded 12, 301 fire incidents and this number increased in 2014 by 40 percent,” said MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino.
Most of the fires happened mostly due to faulty electrical lines, unattended gas lamps and cooking stoves and overheating appliances.