A fire that had been raging for two days destroyed grassland and trees in about 35 hectares at the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park at Barangay Biak na Bato, La Castellana, Negros Occidental, Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer, said Friday, March 15.
The fire started at Purok Pastohan at Biak na Bato Thursday morning and the Bureau of Fire Protection declared the fire out at 12:30 p.m. Friday, he said.
On Thursday morning they could see smoke coming from the area but the fire became more visible in the evening, he said.
The fire hit area was a two-hour climb from the Mt. Kanla-on Natural Park Administration Center in Calapnagan making it difficult for firefighters and volunteers to bring water to the area, he said.
They instead created a fire line to prevent the fire from spreading to other areas, he said.
Battling the fire were the Kanlaon Green Brigade volunteers, and Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Fire Protection and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office personnel, Gerangaya said.
Also in the area were representatives from the Office of Civil Defense.
A slight drizzle was not enough to put out the fire earlier, he said.
A drone survey of the extent of the fire was conducted, Gerangaya said.
La Castellana Mayor Rhummyla Mangilimutan said the fire started in Barangay Biak na Bato and had spread to the adjacent Mananawin and Masulog.
It was mostly forest land that was hit, she said.
Mangilimutan also said four barangays in La Castellana have also been affected by the intense El Niño heat, but she is still waiting for a report on the extent of the damage.
Irene Bel Ploteña, Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Management Program Division head, said they could not pinpoint the cause of the fire that hit Barangay Biak na Bato.*