A man watches houses on fire at Tondo in Manila on Sunday. Raging orange flames and thick black smoke billowed into the sky, as fire ripped through hundreds of houses in a closely built slum area of the Philippine capital Manila. Jam Sta. Rosa, AFPMANILA – At least 2,000 families were left homeless after a massive fire tore through the residential community of Isla Puting Bato in Tondo, Manila, on Sunday.

According to Senior Inspector Alejandro Ramos, intelligence and investigation chief of the Manila Fire Department, the blaze destroyed approximately a thousand homes when it broke out around 8 in the morning.

The fire escalated to Task Force Charlie before noon, prompting a response from fire marshals across the entire Metro Manila region. 

The Philippine Air Force also deployed two aircraft to assist in the firefighting efforts, while four additional fire boats were utilized.

Ramos said most of the homes in the area were made of light, combustible materials, as many residents are informal settlers. The strong winds in the coastal community also contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

"'Yon pong mga daan napakaliit po at 'yong sa MICT naman po ay napakataas po ng pader na pilit po naming dinadaanan sa pamamagitan po ng ladder at the same time ay ginawan na rin namin ng paraan na sirain ang portion ng pader," Ramos said.

(The streets are very narrow, and the walls in the area—particularly those along the MICT (Manila International Container Terminal)—are very high. We had to navigate through these with ladders, and we also had to find ways to break portions of the walls.)

He also noted that the streets were congested with people fleeing the fire.

Some residents escaped through nearby waterways after other exits were blocked by the flames, with some using makeshift floatation devices like styrofoam to cross.

As of this writing, no fatalities have been reported, although several firefighters sustained injuries.

According to Manila City Hall, some residents have already been evacuated to the Del Pan Evacuation Center.

"We will ensure that the evacuees receive cash aid, food, and materials for rebuilding their homes through our local government, DSWD, and hopefully other sources as well. We must come together to support the fire victims in this time of great need," said Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna in a statement.

The mayor also said that she has asked the city council to declare the affected barangay a state of calamity.

"We will explore options for relocating the affected residents, as Isla Puting Bato is no longer a safe place for them," Lacuna added.