A 63-year-old woman and a firefighter volunteer were hurt, while around 15 families lost their homes in a fire that gutted a residential area on Elias Street in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Sunday morning, June 9.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said that the old woman sustained a wound on her lower extremity, while the 19-year-old firefighter sustained minor second degree burns on his left upper extremity.
The BFP said that the fire started on the second floor of a two-story house that was made of light materials at around 8:43 a.m.
The fire was immediately raised to the first alarm at 8:46 a.m. and escalated to the second alarm at 8:53 a.m.
Firefighters were able to put the fire under control at 9:29 a.m. and extinguished it at 10:01 a.m.
Arson investigators said at least P70,000 worth of property was damaged.
The affected families are currently staying at the barangay hall of Barangay 351.
Some of them took to social media their request for donations of old clothes, school supplies, and other basic necessities.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.