Fires hit Pandacan, Sta. Mesa

MANILA, Philippines — Fires broke out in Pandacan and Sta. Mesa in Manila on Thursday, leaving two people injured, at least 23 families homeless and 13 pet cats dead.

A worker and a resident suffered burns and wounds as they tried to put out the fire at a three-floor house in Pandacan’s Barangay 867, according to earlier reports.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) raised the first alarm at 11:24 a.m. The crews of eight fire trucks put out the fire at 11:48 a.m.

One of the two injured men said he was welding metal when droplets splattered onto polystyrene, which he said could have caused the fire.

Meanwhile, 23 families were displaced by a fire that gutted a neighborhood along Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard in Sta. Mesa’s Barangay 636.

The fire reached second alarm at 5:47 p.m., a few minutes after it was first reported, according to the BFP.

Manila fire marshal Sr. Supt. Christina Doctor-Cula said the fire was put out at 8:44 p.m. by personnel from 14 fire trucks.

According to GMA News, 14 imported cats were trapped when the fire broke out in Sta. Mesa. The tenants of a house were not home when the fire occurred.

The homeowner said only one cat survived.

The families affected by the fire sought refuge at a nearby chapel and at Pio del Pilar Elementary School. They appealed for help from the city government.

The BFP has yet to provide reports on the two fire incidents in Manila.