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LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines – The Mount Kitanglad range fire is on its fourth day and it is spreading to other mountain peaks in 6 towns across Bukidnon where it traverses.
OCD Region 10 director and Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council chairperson Ana Cañeda said that further efforts to address the fire are ongoing.
Mount Kitanglad is the country’s 4th highest peak. Efforts to stop the fire have failed so far, prompting the OCD to raise the alert to Code Blue, as the lack of rain and firefighting equipment made it difficult to contain the fire.
The fire has spread to Mount Matampay, Mount Mangantol, Mount Butoc, Mount Nakalo, and Mount Undingan which are all part of the mountain range, The OCD has also gotten reports that the fire has reached Mount Kalatungan.
Mount Kitanglad range has an area of 47,720 hectares and is a protected area and a national park.
Cañeda said that villagers tried to help stop the fire but they lacked the proper equipment.
Cañeda added that the fire already affected close to 851 hectares, and spread across 6 municipalities.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources-10 (DENR-10) Assistant Regional Director Felix Mirasol said the fire was also affecting villagers living near the location of the forest fires.
“They are exposed to high risk of boulders and glowing embers falling on them,” Mirasol said.
Forest guard volunteers, together with the Bureau of Fire Protection in established an 11-kilometer fire line along Barangay Songco in Lantapan and Barangay Sil-ipon in Libona towns.
DENR’s Protected Area Management Bureau provided some firefighting equipment to volunteers.
Bukidnon’s DRRMO and municipal DRRMO augmented their personnel to help stop the fire.
The immediate needs identified are the firefighting provisions and gear, logistics and other support for the volunteers, and aerial support to determine the extent of damage in the area. DENR PAMB is providing firefighting gear and other supplies for the volunteers. Additional agencies that committed support to the effort are the BFP, DENR, Kabalikat Civicom (for communication support), DPWH, TOG 10-PAF, PIA, PRC, DA, DOH, and DSWD among others.
Bukidnon PDRRMC and the concerned Municipal DRRMCs will continue to augment personnel and provide food assistance to the volunteers.
There are about 185 volunteers deployed by the OCD and DENR.
The OCD also sent a request for aircraft with fire suppression capability to the Philippine Army, but it will be forwarded to the Philippine Air Force.
The OCD also requested for an aerial survey to map out the extent of the damage.
When asked the cost of the damage incurred, the OCD replied that it was priceless, as it is a national park and natural-grown trees were burned.
The mountain fires in Mindanao this following weeks, including the fire in Mount Apo in Davao and Cotabato region and now in Mount Kitanglad range only exposes the lack of preparedness of the government to respond to large-scale fires. – Rappler.com
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