Fire at residential area in Mandaluyong City

A blaze struck a residential area in Mandaluyong City in Philippines, early Wednesday afternoon, affecting an estimated 800 to 1,000 families, city officials said.

"This is the biggest fire in the history of Mandaluyong," the city's mayor Benjamin "Benhur" Abalos Jr said in an interview with dzBB at Barangay Addition Hills, the site of the fire.

Caption:  Homes on fire in Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City (rappler.com)

According to rappler.com, the fire, that began in Block 32 of Barangay Addition Hills at around 2 pm Tuesday, spread to 5 other blocks a couple of hours later. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said that the fire was declared under control at 6:13 pm.

Upon the request of Abalos, a Philippine Air Force helicopter with water bags arrived in the area at 4:30 pm to help put out on the fire.

Caption:  Homes on fire in Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City  (rappler.com)

Abalos said he asked the help of the Air Force, as firetrucks had difficulty getting into the area. Earlier, dzBB reported that firetrucks refilled with water could not get into the streets which, aside from being narrow, were also blocked by displaced families, their belongings, and kibitzers.

Caption: Firefighters train their hose as they try to extinguish the fire that razed a residential are at Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City (www.mb.com.ph) 

The fire reached the 5th alarm at 2:34 pm, and was at Task Force Alpha 10 minutes later. It reached Task Force Bravo at 3:19 pm, Task Force Delta at 4:20 pm, and then general alarm just 10 minutes later.

Abalos said the city government prepared 5 evacuation sites for the victims, which he estimated between 800 to 1,000 families.

Caption: Affected residents try to salvage their belonging while their homes are being razed by fire at Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City (www.mb.com.ph)

This is the second fire to hit the area this month. In early November, a blaze razed 72 homes in the barangay, which is lined with homes mostly made of light materials.

Caption: An affected resident can only look at his home while it was being razed by fire at Barangay  Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City (www.mb.com.ph)

(rappler.com)