287 hectares of land razed by grass fire in Ilocos Norte – OCD

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50 hectares of scorched land were part of the government’s National Greening Program

MANILA, Philippines – The grass fire in Carasi, Ilocos Norte, razed 287 hectares of land — 50 of which are part of the government’s reforestation program (National Greening Program), according to a report from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Sunday, February 2.

The grass fire started afternoon of Thursday, January 30, the OCD said, citing a report from the regional office in Carasi. A team from the Philippine Air Force arrived on January 31 to conduct heli-bucket operations.

“By 2 pm on January 31, the BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection) officially declared the fire extinguished, though ongoing operations remained in place to ensure safety in the vicinity,” the OCD’s report read.

The duration of the fire lasted almost 24 hours. According to the OCD, the cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

Assessment and monitoring continued until the morning of February 1, when operations of uniformed personnel were terminated.

The municipal disaster risk reduction and management office of Carasi, as well as the forest rangers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, are expected to continuously monitor the situation. – Rappler.com