The City of Cavite, Cavite province declared a state of calamity on Tuesday following a major fire that displaced over 900 families in two barangays, local officials said.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod (city council) of Cavite unanimously approved Resolution No. 2024-094, recommending the declaration of a state of calamity and authorizing the release of quick response funds to assist affected families.

According to the resolution, the fire broke out around 3:08 PM on July 14 in Barangay 5 and rapidly spread to adjacent structures in Barangay 7 due to strong winds.

Despite efforts by local fire teams, the blaze was not fully contained until 5:54 PM.

A rapid damage assessment found that 933 families across the two barangays were affected by the incident.

“This declaration allows us to utilize calamity funds to provide immediate assistance to the fire victims,” said Marc Lawrence Dr. Serrano, principal author of the resolution.

The move follows guidelines set by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for declaring a state of calamity when multiple barangays are impacted by a disaster.

City officials said the quick response funds would be used to provide food, temporary shelter, and other emergency aid to displaced residents of Barangays 5 and 7.

The resolution cited Republic Act 10121, also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, as legal basis for the declaration.

Cavite City authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire, which resulted in one of the largest mass displacements in the city’s recent history.