Fire razes 20 houses in Manila

Some 20 houses made of light materials were razed when a 40-minute fire hit a crowded neighborhood in Sampaloc, Manila yesterday noon.

There were no reports of injuries or casualties, according to arson investigator Senior Fire Officer 1 Emmanuel Gaspar.

The fire, which started at a house on Geronimo street, spread quickly to neighboring houses.

Firefighters had a hard time extinguishing the flames due to narrow streets and low-water pressure in the area. A thick crowd of onlookers also hampered the firefighting capability of responding firemen.

However, residents bewailed the slow response of firefighters who allegedly arrived late.

"Residents helped each other put out the fire. But the fire spread quickly, while the firemen arrived late," lamented one angry male homeowner.

There were also reports that looters took advantage of families who rushed out of their houses.

The fire, which reached the fifth alarm, was placed under control at 12:40 p.m.

Damage to property was initially placed at P500,000, while the cause of the fire is still being investigated.