170 families left homeless in Navotas

A six-hour fire gutted a squatter’s colony on New Year’s day in Navotas, destroying 80 houses and leaving at least 170 families homeless.

Although no deaths or injuries were reported, the fire, which reached Task Force Echo alarm level, damaged an estimated P6 million worth of properties in Barangay San Jose, Navotas.

While fire officials are still determining who started the fire, F01 Robert Rabando and F01 Domingo Gastillo said the culprit could be a mentally deranged man, identified as Federico Kennedy, 49, of Quintos Street, Barangay San Jose.

Rabando said Kennedy, who was suspected of a mental illness, allegedly burned down his house in Quintos street near Naval Street at about 5:55 p.m. He is still at large.

Strong winds helped spread the fire and eventually burn other residential houses in the area.

Panic-stricken residents carried what they could of their belongings to safety and helplessly watched their houses being burned to the ground.

Firefighters immediately arrived at the scene, but they had trouble putting out the blaze due to narrow streets. The fire was declared "out" at about 11:22 p.m.

FO1 Rabando said fire marshals are still conducting follow-up investigation on the cause of the fire. Witnesses told investigators that the suspect had threatened to burn down his house in the past.

Meanwhile, a 48-minute fire of unknown origin razed a mosquito coil factory in Pasig City yesterday injuring a fireman and destroying some P8 million worth of properties.

A fireman, FO3 Roberto Garrido of the Pasig City Fire Station, sustained minor laceration and abrasions on his left palm and thumb finger while he and his colleagues were putting out the fire at the Fumakila Laboratory, maker of the Lion Katol.

Arson prober FO3 Zacarias Manaog said the fire started at the second floor of the two-story building located along Amang Rodriguez Avenue, Barangay Santolan at 1:02 a.m. yesterday.

Only a stay-in security guard, Conrado Siblit, was present in the factory when smoke was seen billowing out of the second floor windows. – Matthew Estabillo and Non Alquitran