Some 150 families lost their homes in a fire which gutted hundreds of houses in Barangay Canelar, Zamboanga City on Sunday, August 20.
Mayor John Dalipe ordered city government offices to provide immediate response to hundreds of fire victims.
Ten fire trucks rushed to the scene while the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office provided three water tankers, a search and rescue team, and an ambulance.
The fire started at around 8:30 p.m. and quickly spread to adjoining houses made of light materials. The conflagration reached third alarm before being placed under control two hours later.
Two persons were treated for minor injuries.
City Social Welfare and Development Officer Socorro Rojas said three evacuation centers were designated to temporarily house the fire victims: The covered courts in Canelar and Camino Nuevo and the INC compound.
Fire investigators are still probing the cause of the fire and detrrmining estimated damage.