Mt Banahaw fire burns 50 hectares of mountain forest

Pia Ranada

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Officials are having a difficult time putting out the blaze because of strong winds and the steep slope of the area

MOUNTAIN BLAZE. Officials say the fire has begun to die down but strong wind may still cause it to spread. Photo courtesy of Philippine Air Force

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The fire raging in Mount Banahaw in Quezon province has now decimated 50 hectares of the mountain, according to the Office of Civil Defense Region IV-A.

Fifty hectares is just a little over the land area of SM Mall of Asia which is 42 hectares. The affected area is known to mountaineers and locals as “Durungawan.” It is one of the mountain’s 3 peaks.

Authorities face difficulties in putting out the forest fire, which was first observed around 6 pm last Wednesday, March 19 on the side of the mountain nearest Sariaya town in Quezon.

“We cannot use the buckets [of water] of the Air Force because they might just as well be drizzle,” said Vicente Tomazar, OCD Region IV-A Director, in a mix of Filipino and English.

The fire, which appears to have burnt almost the entire crown of the mountain, has started to die down, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection. This has quelled fears that the fire will spread to the Nagcarlan and Tayabas sides of the mountain.

Tomazar said they plan to establish a fire line by trimming some branches off surrounding trees to keep the fire in check.

Earlier in the morning, 3 military choppers were sent – 2 to put out the fire and one to conduct surveillance and recover anyone still on the mountain. 

The search led to 11 people being brought down the mountain from a campsite on the “Tatlong Tangke” trail which starts from Dolores, Quezon and leads to Durungawan.

Here is an image of the fire by Instagram user @gelopottz:

The steepness of the area where the fire occured is what first prevented authorities from reaching the blaze.

Environment officials in the region are surveying the fire aboard military aircraft to check the extent of the damage and see how best to put it under control, Bustamante added.

Unknown cause

The cause of the fire is unknown, he said.

Since 2004, backpackers have been banned from scaling the 2,158-meter (7,080-foot) peak to protect the flora and fauna that thrive there.

Several small sects that worship at caves and springs on its lower slopes continue to have access there, though officials said there have been no reports of anyone being trapped in the fire. 

According to the Department of Environment and Natura Resources (DENR), Banahaw’s forests, including a 10,900-hectare protected zone, are home to scores of animal species found only in the Philippines, including a species of cloud rat discovered only in 2004.

However, they said they have yet to receive a report of the extent of the damage.

Ivan Herzano, project officer of the non-government group Foundation for the Philippine Environment, told Agence France-Presse that despite access restictions, forest rangers lacked the capability to track all persons who may be illegally entering the protected area. (READ: PH natural parks management rated ‘poor’ to ‘fair’)

“Most likely it was a man-made fire,” he said.

Hunters illegally looking for game could have lit dry litter on the forest floor by carelessly discarding cigarette butts, he added.

The foundation has recently completed a 60-hectare reforestation project on the mountain, which has protected zones that are off limits to human habitation as well as “multiple-use zones” on its lower slopes reserved for locals, Herzano added. – With reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com

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Pia Ranada

Pia Ranada is Rappler’s Community Lead, in charge of linking our journalism with communities for impact.