Navotas fire: 1 dead, 15 families homeless

MANILA, Philippines — A 59-year-old man died and 15 families were left homeless after a fire hit a residential area in Navotas City on Saturday.

The victim was a stroke survivor who was trapped in his house when it caught fire, according to Doming Elape, barangay captain of North Bay Boulevard South Dagat-Dagatan.

Elape, in a statement posted on Facebook, said the victim’s body was cremated in compliance with his family’s request.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)’s National Capital Region field unit said the fire started at around 3:19 a.m. and reached first alarm.

Firefighters who arrived on board four fire trucks doused the fire at around 4:11 a.m.

Elape said three houses were destroyed by the fire, displacing 15 families.

The affected residents sought shelter in an evacuation center.

Arson probers have yet to determine the cause of the fire, which destroyed P45,000 worth of property.

In Manila, fires broke out in two commercial buildings on Friday.

The BFP raised first alarm on the blaze that hit a three-story building along Angel Linao street in Paco at 2:53 a.m.

The building was owned by Andy Go, a 52-year-old businessman.

The fire reached fourth alarm before it was put out at nearly 6 a.m. Crews from 18 BFP fire trucks, 34 volunteer firefighter groups and an ambulance responded to the scene. Fire Officer 1 Royce Caro from the BFP’s Paco station suffered second-degree burns on his neck and was treated at the Philippine General Hospital, the Manila Police District reported.

Meanwhile, a fire broke out at a two-story building along Carlos Palanca street in Quiapo before 11:30 a.m. yesterday.

Firefighters put out the fire around 11:45 am, according to earlier reports.

The BFP has yet to provide other details on the fire in Quiapo.