Two of the forest fires that broke out in Itogon town, Benguet province have been controlled, according to an Itogon fire safety officer on Friday, February 23.
"Kabi-kabilaan ang nangyayaring forest fire dito. Sa ngayon, dalawa na lang pero medyo controlled na," Fire Safety Officer 3 Saturnino Ariston told DZRH in an interview.
FSO3 Saturnino Ariston, Investigator - Wildfire Itogon, Benguet, sa nangyaring forest fire: Kabi-kabilaan ang nangyayaring forest fire dito. Sa ngayon lang ay dalawa pero medyo controlled.#DosPorDos#SamaSamaTayoPilipino
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) February 22, 2024
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Based on his estimate, the forest fire left massive damage to 15 hectares of land in Nueva Vizcaya Rd. and 60 hectares in the boundary of Itogon.
The fire safety officer mentioned that the steepness of the roads posed a challenge in controlling the fire.
According to Saturnino, the burning of garbage practiced by land shepherds may be the cause of forest fires.
"Minsan, sinunog nila [ang mga nilinis sa bukid] pero biglang aalis nalang at hindi binabantayan. Kaya ayun," he added.
He assured that the Itogon Fire Station is coordinating with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to prevent the further spread of the blaze.
As per Ariston, nearly 10 forest fire incidents were recorded in Itogon town.
Meanwhile, in an advisory posted on its official Facebook page, the Benguet Public Information Office (PIO) said Bokod Mayor Thomas Wales Jr. suspended "all tourism activities within the town's borders due to the escalating threat of forest fires."
Benguet PIO said residents and tourists are strongly prohibited from camping, hiking, picnicking, and other recreational activites in forested areas.
The suspension reportedly took effect on Thursday, February 22.
