San Juan de Miraflores, Lima — A large fire broke out Saturday afternoon in the Pamplona

Alta sector of San Juan de Miraflores, quickly spreading through

a dense block of mostly improvised homes. Local authorities

moved to contain the blaze and emergency crews

remain on scene as officials assess losses.

Initial reports from local media and firefighters put the scale of the damage

at anywhere from several dozen to more than 100 homes affected,

while hundreds of residents have been left without shelter.

Authorities report the fire has been confined, though

many families remain displaced and in urgent need of aid.

Firefighters said the flames spread rapidly

because many houses are built from highly

flammable materials and are tightly packed together.

Officials also indicated the blaze appeared to have reached a clandestine pyrotechnics

(fireworks) workshop in the sector, which may

have worsened the fire and produced

small explosions captured in citizen videos.

Investigators are treating

that location as a likely origin while the cause is formally determined. READ MORE BELOW