500 families lose homes

Some 500 families in a squatter colony in Balintawak, Quezon City lost their homes yesterday in a three-hour fire that took 30 firetrucks to put out.

Authorities said the fire started at around 9:30 a.m. at the Gana compound along Epifanio De los Santos Avenue (EDSA).

The fire quickly spread after being started by a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tank explosion in one of the shanties when an 11-year-old girl lit-up a gas stove to cook a meal, witnesses said.

The Quezon City Fire Station had to raise a Task Force India alarm a little over an hour later, at 10:50 a.m.

"Wala nang tataas pa sa alarm na iyan," said Fire Officer 2 Ed Biscocho, duty officer at the Quezon City Fire Station. "That means a general alarm," he said, indicating how big the fire was.

Residents carried on their backs whatever valuables they could save from the fire. Women and children wailed as huge pillars of fire and smoke engulfed what, only hours earlier, was home to them.

No serious injuries or fatalities were reported but some fire victims suffered minor cuts and burns. Some 200 families are temporarily housed at the Bonifacio Elementary School near the North Diversion Road. Other victims have sought refuge in the nearby St. Joseph Parish compound, according to Ross Felicidario of the City Hall communications center.

Teresita Mariano, head of the city’s social welfare department mobilized personnel to help fire victims on orders of City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

Fire stations from all over Metro Manila responded to the general alarm and their firetrucks sped to the fire scene. Authorities fielded traffic policemen to untangle the traffic jam caused by the fire.

The conflagration was placed under control at 11:55 a.m. It was completely put out only at 1:35 p.m. F02 Biscocho said fire investigators have yet to establish the value of the properties which went up in smoke.

Meanwhile, a popular cafe in Malate, Manila, was hit by fire yesterday morning, leaving at least P5 million in damages.

The Manila Fire Department reported that the blaze swept through the second and third floors of the three-floor Cafe de Malate at about 7:15 a.m.

There were no reported injuries. Cafe de Malate is located along Leon Guinto street, and is owned by Abraham Velasco.

According to Fire Officer 2 Oscar Ropero, the blaze broke out from one of the VIP rooms on the cafe’s second floor.

Ropero said the cafe’s staff tried to put out the fire but was forced outside after they were engulfed by thick smoke.

The fire quickly spread to the adjoining rooms until it totally gutted the second and third floors, Ropero said. – Romel Bagares and Mike Frialde