SOME P1.4 million worth of properties were destroyed in an almost four-hour fire in Zamboanga City, a Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) official said Friday, August 14, 2026.
Superintendent Leo Pioquinto, BFP Zamboanga City Fire District (ZCFD) marshal, said the fire broke out around 1:21 a.m. Friday in Sitio Cambodia, Purok 1, Barangay Sangali, Zamboanga City.
Pioquinto said the fire started in one of the houses and rapidly spread to neighboring houses. One of the homeowners was identified as Nering Wahi.
Pioquinto said the fire, which reached the third alarm, was placed under control around 2:44 a.m. and declared fire out at around 3:52 a.m. following continued fire suppression operations.
The investigation showed that a total of 40 houses were razed, while more or less 50 families were affected.
Pioquinto said there were no reported fatalities or injuries during the incident. He said authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire.
He said nine BFP fire trucks responded to the fire call. The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) and a local fishing firm also sent three and one water tankers, respectively, to support the firefighters.
Meanwhile, the city government, through the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), has mobilized resources to provide relief assistance to the displaced families.
The CDRRMO delivered jerry cans filled with purified water, two portable toilets, and a 200-liter water storage tank. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)