Inspector Leo Andiso, arson investigator, said the fire started at 10:05 a.m. in a compound located at the corner of E. Rodriguez and M. de la Cruz street.
Andiso said their initial investigation showed that the blaze started in the house of a Fermin Chua, a businessman who reportedly allows his workers to build houses in the compound.
Probers are looking at the possibility that an electrical short-circuit in Chua’s house could have caused the fire, which quickly spread to nearby shanties. Firefighters in seven firetrucks responded to the scene.
No one was reported hurt in the blaze, which was contained at around 11:05 a.m. – Rhodina Villanueva