A destructive early-morning blaze that tore through a residential and commercial block in Santo Domingo’s historic Colonial City has left dozens of residents displaced, with local authorities moving quickly to deliver emergency support following an on-site damage assessment.
The fire broke out around dawn on September 20 on Arzobispo Portes Street, close to Regina Alley, according to initial incident reports. The blaze completely destroyed one residential property and one small business, damaged a second adjacent home, and left four parked vehicles with significant fire damage. Among the casualties, affected resident Emely Núñez and her son sustained minor burns while escaping the spreading fire.
Núñez, one of the hardest-hit community members, told reporters she believes the fire originated from an exploding power strip inside her home, a failure she linked to consistent voltage fluctuations that had plagued the neighborhood for weeks. She added that the ongoing electrical issues had already been formally reported to local power distribution company Edeeste prior to the incident, with multiple other local residents confirming they have also experienced similar electrical problems that have damaged their personal home appliances. At present, officials have not confirmed the official cause of the blaze, with community members noting that a final determination will depend on the official investigative report from the Dominican Fire Department.
In the immediate aftermath of the fire, technical teams from the Ministry of Housing and Buildings arrived to inspect the structural integrity of damaged properties, while Edeeste personnel carried out safety work on local electrical infrastructure and installed new power meters at several affected lots to restore basic utility access.
Edgar Augusto Féliz Arbona, director of the Dominican Republic’s Directorate of Social Assistance and Community Food (DASAC), led the official needs assessment mission to the neighborhood, where he met directly with Núñez and other impacted residents to inspect damaged properties firsthand. During the visit, Féliz Arbona confirmed that government emergency support was already being activated, with the first priority focused on replacing all household goods lost in the blaze to address families’ most urgent needs.
“This support is core to our mandate: we step in to help Dominican families facing vulnerable, unexpected circumstances, and we will deliver every replacement item these families lost immediately,” Féliz Arbona said, adding that the assistance effort was launched following direct instructions from President Luis Abinader to prioritize support for households impacted by unforeseen emergencies. Féliz Arbona also noted that DASAC will coordinate closely with other national and local government agencies to address any needs that exceed the agency’s current scope of work, ensuring no affected family is left without the support they require to rebuild.