Thousands of houses razed by massive fire in Davao

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Days after the end of Fire Prevention Month, a huge fire razed more than a thousand houses in Davao City on Friday evening, April 4.

Firefighters and volunteers fought hard for more than 5 hours against the fire, which started in the seaside community of Isla Verde in Barangay 23-C.

Local authorities said the fire started in a shanty with an unattended candle at around 8:14 in the evening. Authorities declared a fire out at around 1:30 am on Saturday.

As the fire continued to blaze for hours, hundreds of houses were also burned in the neighboring villages of Barangay 21-C and 22-C, leaving more than 3,000 families homeless.

A man has reportedly died from a heart condition due to the fire.

The affected residents are presently staying in several evacuation centers in the city, including Quezon Elementary school, according to the Office of Civil Defense Region 11.

The Bureau of Fire Protection is still trying to determine the total cost of damage left by the incident. – With a report from Pia Ranada/Rappler.com