At least 46 houses occupied by informal settler families were destroyed after a fire broke out beneath Culiat Bridge II along Congressional Avenue in Barangay Bahay Toro, Quezon City, on Saturday night.
The Bureau of Fire Protection said the blaze started at around 9:49 p.m. and rapidly reached the fourth alarm. Firefighters brought the fire under control at 10:56 p.m. and completely extinguished it at 11:26 p.m.
Fire Senior Inspector Rodrigo Delos Santos, commander of Station 1 of the BFP-Quezon City, said authorities raised the fire to the fourth alarm because it occurred beneath a critical bridge structure and involved a densely populated informal settlement.
Initial findings showed that the blaze originated from a single-story house beneath the bridge. Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire.
No fatalities or civilian injuries were reported. However, one firefighter experienced difficulty breathing while responding to the incident.
A total of 37 fire trucks and four ambulances were deployed to contain the blaze.
Among the displaced residents was sampaguita vendor Tahlia Maris Lising, who said her family received a call informing them that the community was already on fire. Although they managed to escape safely, they were unable to retrieve any of their belongings.
Resident Michael Fuerte said the fire destroyed their important documents and personal possessions, including their children’s clothes, leaving the family without a place to stay.
Despite losing their home and belongings, working student Rodrigo Morales said he was grateful that his family survived, stressing that material possessions could be replaced but lives could not.