Fire breaks out in residential area in Port Area, Manila

A fire engulfed a stretch of a residential area along Port Area in Manila at early dawn on Wednesday, a report by Super Radyo dzBB said.

In a separate Facebook post, the Philippine Red Cross said the blaze broke out at around 12:03 a.m. and quickly escalated to 5th alarm at around 12:20 a.m.

A total of 25 fire trucks and one ambulance arrived at the area, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection - National Capital Region (BFP-NCR).

The Philippine Red Cross said it quickly responded to the scene by dispatching its fire truck and assisting the families fleeing from the blaze.

The fire affected 200 houses made of light materials on Railroad Street in Port Area, Barangay 650, according to a report by Jhomer Apresto on Unang Balita.

Due to the huge fire, the BFP raised Task Force Alpha, which meant at least 25 fire trucks were needed.

The BFP said the fire was placed under control at 5:39 a.m.

Firemen had difficulty putting out the fire due to the narrow congested area and overhanging wires.

"Mahirap ho na i-control ang mga tao. At the same time yung mga alleys po natin, 'yung daanan ng mga hose is sobrang sisikip din po," Manila Fire District Station 4 Coommander Fire Inspector Leslie Ramos said.

(It was hard to control the people. At the same time, the alleys where we had to put the hoses were very narrow.)

Around 300 families or 1,000 individuals were affected by the fire, and many of them were not able to save any of their belongings.

"Three hundred families po ang affected. More or less 1,000 individuals 'yon," Manila Fire District Station 4 Coommander Fire Inspector Leslie Ramos said.

Residents tried to save their belongings but many of them were not able to bring out anything.

According to one resident, they did not have electricity since 2 p.m. Tuesday. The power came back a few minutes before the fire started.

Authorities arrested a man who went inside houses that had been evacuated, but he said he was only helping out.

Some residents also hit the windshield of one fire truck for a still undetermined reason.

Firemen also had to deal with lack of water supply. They had to use the water pipes in the area.

No one was hurt or died in the fire, the fire department said.

Meanwhile, the BFP is still determining the cause of the fire and estimated cost of property damage.

According to the BFP-NCR, the fire was declared out at 6:59 a.m.

Affected residents appealed for help as they need clothes, underwear, and hygiene kits. —with a report by Joviland Rita/LDF/KG, GMA Integrated News