Lending hand Volunteer firefighters assist residents in Parola, Tonda to put out the blaze that has rendered 100 families homeless. P. C. Santos

Around 100 families will be spending New Year’s Eve at evacuation centers after a two-hour fire on Sunday morning burned their houses at Gate 10, Parola Compound in Tondo, Manila.

FSupt. Rodolfo Denaga of the Manila Fire Department (MFD) said the incident occurred at 10:45 a.m., going as high as the fourth alarm, before being declared fire out at 1:19 p.m.

Initial reports from the MFD stated the blaze started from the second floor of the house owned by Joel Acontillado at 227 Area B, Gate 10.

There were no reported injuries or casualties from the fire, which quickly spread because most of the houses in the area were built from light materials.

Meanwhile, the Manila Social Welfare Department distributed hot meals round the clock, while assisting the victims setting up their temporary homes at designated evacuation centers.