MANILA, Dec 12: A massive and destructive fire tore through a densely populated residential neighborhood in Barangay Pleasant Hills, Mandaluyong City, on Friday evening (December 12, 2025), leaving widespread devastation in its wake.

Local media footage captured towering flames and thick columns of black smoke engulfing entire rows of tightly packed homes. The inferno lit up the night sky with an eerie orange glow, spreading panic among residents as the blaze intensified.

The fire began at approximately 6:38 p.m. in Block 5 along Nueve de Febrero Street. Fueled by the area’s light and highly combustible housing materials, the flames spread rapidly, forcing hundreds of residents to scramble for safety. Aerial drone shots circulated online showed the scale of the destruction, with multiple homes consumed by fire in one of Metro Manila’s most crowded districts.

A drone captured the massive blaze that destroyed multiple homes in a residential area of Mandaluyong, a city within Metro Manila.

According to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the alarm level escalated quickly. Between 6:42 p.m. and 7:19 p.m., the blaze progressed from an initial alert to a full-scale emergency, prompting the deployment of more than 20 fire trucks and firefighting teams from surrounding cities. Their efforts were challenged by the neighborhood’s narrow passageways, which hindered access and allowed the flames to travel swiftly among the closely spaced structures.

Despite the scale of the fire, authorities reported no immediate casualties. However, the disaster displaced an estimated 500 families, highlighting the deep vulnerabilities faced by residents of informal urban settlements, where overcrowding and substandard construction materials heighten the risk of such tragedies.

Local news reports noted that plumes of smoke were visible from several kilometers away, underscoring the severity of the incident. The BFP succeeded in containing the blaze by midnight, though detailed damage assessments and investigations into the cause are still underway.

The incident once again brings attention to persistent fire safety concerns across Metro Manila’s highly congested communities, where limited infrastructure and dense populations continue to pose serious risks.