Instead of joy, fear marked the New Year celebration at the Sumulong Football Field in Barangay Dela Paz, Antipolo City, after a firework stall was engulfed in flames early Thursday morning, 1 January.

Initial investigation showed that the fire started at around 12:05 a.m. and reportedly originated from an aerial firework that malfunctioned while being used to welcome 2026.

Instead of launching into the air, the firework toppled over and exploded at ground level, causing the fire to spread rapidly to nearby firework stalls.

Due to the quick response of firefighters, the blaze was declared under control at around 12:12 a.m., just seven minutes after it started.

Although the fire was quickly extinguished, the incident was officially reported to the Antipolo Component City Police Station at around 1:30 a.m., following validation at the scene.

As of press time, no injuries or casualties were reported.