120 families homeless in Makati fire

MANILA, Philippines - Some 120 families were left homeless in a fire that struck two squatters' areas in Barangay Cembo and Barangay Guadalupe Nuevo in Makati City early Thursday evening.

The Makati Fire Department said the fire started at about 5:16 p.m. on the second floor of a shanty owned by a certain Rose Reniva in Barangay Cembo.

Strong winds fanned the fire towards more shanties in the nearby Barangay Guadalupe Nuevo.

Makati Fire Arson Investigator Senior Inspector Tito Purgatorio said 40 houses made of light materials were razed by the fire, leaving some 100 families homeless.

Some 12 houses were also burned by the fire in Barangay Guadalupe Nuevo, leaving 20 families homeless.

According to the Makati Fire Department, the two urban poor communities are separated by a creek.

The fire reached Task Force Bravo before it was put out by firefighters st 6:45 pm. Arson invstigators have yet to fiund out what caused the fire as well as place the amount of damage.