The local government of Quezon City on Thursday denied social media rumors that a fire that gutted a community along NIA Road earlier this morning was intentional.

According to a preliminary investigation by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the blaze in Barangay Pinyahan was caused by an individual burning copper inside an abandoned house.

The fire broke out shortly after midnight on 30 April. It reached the third alarm at 1:28 a.m. and was declared out by 1:58 a.m.

Displaced families are currently taking shelter at the Camp Karingal covered court. The city’s Social Services Development Department has begun providing relief, while cleanup crews have been deployed to the site.

The Barangay Vasra Multipurpose Hall has also been opened as an auxiliary evacuation center.

Speculation regarding arson has circulated online since a previous massive fire hit the same community on 6 March. Some netizens suggested the fires were a deliberate scheme to clear the land for a planned government housing complex.

However, the local government dismissed these claims as misinformation.

“The local government is discouraging the spread of false information as there is no evidence that the fire was intentional,” the city said in a statement.

Mayor Joy Belmonte clarified that the city is coordinating with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to build a multi-story, in-city vertical housing project specifically for the area’s residents.

“We want to assure affected families that they will be prioritized and will benefit from the housing we are planning to build,” Belmonte said.

Prior to Thursday’s fire, city officials had already met with residents to discuss financial aid and resettlement. On 28 April, several families participated in site visits to relocation areas, including the Harmony Hills Resettlement Site in Barangay Batasan Hills and QCitizen Homes-Urban Deca Homes.

The city’s Housing Community Development and Resettlement Department said all future actions in the area will undergo proper consultation with the community.