A fast-moving fire destroyed 46 homes made of light materials beneath the Culiat Bridge II in Quezon City last Saturday night, forcing the temporary closure of a major thoroughfare after authorities detected structural damage to the bridge.

Reports disclosed that the blaze, which broke out in an informal settler community in Barangay Ramon Magsaysay along Congressional Avenue, escalated to a fourth alarm before firefighters brought it under control.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) received the initial report at 9:49 p.m. Firefighters raised the first alarm at 9:51 p.m., quickly upgrading it to a fourth alarm by 10:34 p.m. due to the high-risk location.

"We raised the fourth alarm because this bridge is a vital installation and we identified informal settler families living underneath it," said Fire Senior Inspector Rodrigo delos Santos, the BFP Quezon City Station 1 commander.

Authorities said the fire originated in a one-story house. A total of 37 fire trucks and four ambulances responded to the scene. The fire was declared under control at 10:56 p.m. and fully extinguished at 11:26 p.m.

No civilian casualties or injuries were reported. However, one firefighter experienced breathing difficulties while positioning to battle the flames.

Thin white smoke still rose from the debris Sunday morning as displaced residents lamented losing all their belongings.

"We were just called and told that the bridge was on fire," said a local sampaguita vendor, adding that her family barely escaped the thick smoke and only managed to save her child's tablet. "We will accept any help because we have absolutely nothing left."

On Sunday, city officials inspected the site and visited the 45 affected families, who were evacuated to the Bago Bantay Elementary School.

The fire caused severe heat damage to Culiat Bridge II, prompting officials to close Congressional Avenue to motorists in both directions. A post-fire structural assessment revealed that portions of the bridge had sustained upward displacement.

Traffic was rerouted toward Cagayan and Villa Socorro streets.

"Culiat Bridge will remain closed while the Quezon City Department of Engineering conducts a structural inspection of the bridge to ensure that it is safe for public use," the city government said in a traffic advisory.

Local officials are awaiting a final recommendation from the Department of Public Works and Highways to determine the duration of the closure and whether motorcycles will be permitted to pass in the interim.