Fire razes six houses in Manila's Sta. Mesa district

Some P300,000 in property was destroyed after a fire razed at least six houses near the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Manila’s Sta. Mesa district before dawn Saturday.   Chief Inspector Bonifacio Carta of the Manila Fire Department’s intelligence and investigation division said the fire reached the fourth alarm before it was placed under control after 6 a.m.   “Mga anim na bahay ang nasunog. Looban ito, maraming nadamay kasi mahirap i-access ng firefighters ang area," Carta said in an interview on dwIZ radio.   While no one was initially reported hurt, Carta estimated some P300,000 in property was destroyed in the fire in Barangay 592.   A report on dwIZ cited initial findings that the fire started at the house of resident Joel Vicente.   Volunteer firefighter group TXTFire said the blaze started along Teresa Street shortly after 5 a.m. and was placed under control at about 6:13 a.m.   On the other hand, a separate report by radio dzBB’s Mao dela Cruz said the incident was near the PUP campus.   The dzBB report also said arson investigators are verifying information that an electrical short circuit may have triggered the fire. — LBG, GMA News