Payatas fire leaves nearly 7,000 homeless

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MANILA — Fire broke out in three informal settler areas in Manila and Quezon City between Monday night and Tuesday morning, leaving almost 7,000 families homeless.

Two fires began in Parola Compound in Tondo, Manila between Monday night and Tuesday afternoon.

The area, which was also the most damaged, now has more than 6,000 homeless families.

The first fire began at Gate 14 of the Parola Compound at 6:27 p.m. on Monday. It eventually spread up to Gate 56.

According to Johnny Yu, head of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the areas affected by the are covers up to eight hectares.

The fire reached the general alarm, the highest fire alarm which mandates all available trucks in Metro Manila to rush to the site to help out.

It lasted for about 12 hours before it was placed under control, was declared out by 7:06 a.m.

Meanwhile, the third fire broke out on Tuesday, at the Gate 1 of the Parola Compound around 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

An estimated 700 families lost their homes during the second fire which was placed under control at 2:33 p.m.

Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso urged the Manila Electric Co. to conduct an inspection on the electrical wiring in the said communities to prevent more fires.