ILOILO CITY -- At least 91 people are spending their Christmas at evacuation centers after their homes were razed by a fire that struck on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 24, in Molo district here.
An updated report released by the Iloilo City Operations Center revealed that 18 houses in the boundary of Barangays San Juan and Calumpang were damaged by the fire.
Residents in the highly populated area were seen taking their belongings and running toward the coastal area for safety as the fire broke out.
Some residents were also seen helping each other get water to help firemen respond to the fire that lasted for almost two hours.
The fire quickly spread as the homes were made mostly of light materials and also because of the strong winds.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is still investigating the incident, determining where the fire started.
This is not the first fire incident on Christmas eve. A similar fire incident also displaced more than 100 people two years ago when a fire hit Boulevard, a neighboring village.