Around 100 houses were destroyed by a fire that hit a compound in Parañaque City before dawn Monday, Dec. 26, affecting some 160 families.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported that the fire started around 2:30 a.m. at the corner of Tramo Uno and Tramo Dos in Barangay San Dionisio.
The BFP said 40 fire trucks responded to contain the fire but the flames immediately spread due to strong winds and because the houses were made of light materials.
Responding firemen had difficulty in controlling the fire due to limited water supply and narrow roads that prompted them to stand on tombs at the nearby Palanyag Cemetery to train their hose on the burning houses.
A fire volunteer suffered a broken arm after he reportedly fell. He was immediately brought at a nearby hospital.
The BFP said residents claimed that they heard a loud explosion prior to the fire.
The BFP is still conducting investigation to determine the origin of fire that damaged around P400,000 worth of property.
The fire was placed under control at around 6:14 a.m.