Blaze razes Alabang houses

No one was injured in the blaze which affected about 400 people. Arson investigators is conducting a probe to determine the origin and cause of the fire

The Muntinlupa City Fire Station and Muntinlupa City Department of Disaster Resilience and Management reported on Sunday that at least 200 families were left homeless in a fire that hit a residential area in Barangay Alabang, Muntinlupa.

Initial reports disclosed that the blaze started at about 4:48 a.m. in Mariategue and Joaquin Compounds Wawa, Alabang.

The fire and evacuation sites was visited by Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon at Alabang Elementary School where affected families are being registered and processed by personnel from Barangay Alabang and the city government.

Affected residents narrated that the fire started from a house beside a creek and the blaze spread due to strong winds.

Meantime, Biazon said that boats were also deployed to the creek to evacuate people who were trapped in the area.

According to the Muntinlupa City Fire Station, headed by Fire Supt. Rowena Gollod, estimated damage was pegged at P750,000.

No one was injured in the blaze which affected about 400 people. Arson investigators is conducting a probe to determine the origin and cause of the fire. A total of 40 fire trucks and five ambulances responded to the incident.

Meanwhile, the mayor said he ordered the Social Services Department to provide the families with assistance including non-food items such as personal and household items. The affected families will also be given hot meals.

The families will also get financial assistance from the city government, he added.

Biazon said that due to the number of families affected by the fire, the Alabang Elementary School will not be able to accommodate all and another evacuation site will be opened where the families can temporarily stay.