Blaze leaves 200 families homeless in Parañaque

MANILA, Philippines - A fire of still undetermined origin struck a residential area in Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City yesterday afternoon, leaving at least 200 families homeless.

According to the Parañaque Central Fire Station, the fire broke out at the Dela Rama Compound just before 1 p.m.

The fire quickly swept through some 100 houses made of light materials and reached general alarm at past 2 p.m.

Firefighters had the blaze under control at around 3:18 p.m.

The fire left at least P1.5 million in damages, Parañaque fire marshal Renato Capuz said. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

The Parañaque City government, led by Mayor Edwin Olivarez, temporarily relocated the displaced residents at nearby schools and a basketball court. 

He said the city government had immediately provided the affected residents with food and cordoned-off the scene of the fire to prevent residents from retrieving their belongings from the razed houses until firefighters can ensure that flames have been put out.

1 hurt in QC fire

Meanwhile, a 61-year-old businessman was injured after his two-story furniture shop on Kalayaan Avenue in Barangay Pinyahan in Quezon City was destroyed by a fire caused by faulty electrical wiring yesterday morning.

Edgardo Enriquez suffered abrasions on his left foot and minor burns on his left arm when he tried to put out the fire at the main circuit breaker on the ground floor just before 11 a.m.

He emptied the fire extinguisher he was using but was unable to contain the flames, which had spread to the ceiling.

Fire marshal Jesus Fernandez said the fire was caused by a short circuit in the furniture shop’s main circuit breaker. Enriquez vehemently denied Fernandez’s claim. The fire reached third alarm around 45 minutes and spread to two adjoining commercial buildings, Fernandez said.

No one died in the fire but at least two families were left homeless after it was put out at around 12:30 p.m.  Arson investigators said the fire destroyed P100,000 worth of property.