Fires hit 3 cities: 1 dead, 41 families homeless

MANILA, Philippines — A man died and at least 41 families were left homeless in fires that hit residential areas in Valenzuela, Quezon City and Mandaluyong since Friday.

In Valenzuela, a man in his 50s perished when a fire razed a house at a residential compound in Barangay Gen. T. de Leon on Friday night.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)’s National Capital Region field office said the fire started at around 9:45 p.m. and reached second alarm.

The fire was put out at around 10:21 p.m., the BFP said.

The BFP did not identify the victim, whose body was brought to a funeral parlor for safekeeping. One family was also left homeless in the fire.

In Quezon City, a man was injured while seven families were affected after a fire broke out in Barangay Sto. Niño yesterday.

The fire along Bagumbuhay street broke out at around 6:18 a.m. and reached first alarm before it was doused by firefighters at around 7:07 a.m.

Julie Caro, a member of the barangay health emergency response team, said a man was treated for first and second-degree burns on the body.

Three houses and a residential building were hit by the fire, displacing seven families, Caro said in a phone interview.

Caro said three dogs died after they were trapped in a house. Another dog was rescued.

Also yesterday, around 33 families or 130 persons lost their homes in a fire in Barangay Plainview in Mandaluyong.

The fire, which started at around 5:06 a.m., destroyed an undetermined number of houses along Sto. Rosario street.

The BFP said the fire reached second alarm and was out at around 6:02 a.m.

The displaced residents relocated to the Plainview Elementary School and were given relief supplies from the barangay hall.