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