Benguet’s 150-hectare pine forest razed in 9-day fire

TUGUEGARAO CITY,  Cagayan, Philippines — At least 150 hectares of forest were razed during a nine-day fire in Kabayan, Benguet that was put out last Tuesday.

Senior Fire Officer 4 Hilario Caniero, head of the Kabayan Bureau of Fire Protection, said firefighters had to hike for hours to get close to the fire. They were able to extinguish the blaze and stop it from spreading further toward Mt. Pulag National Park.

The incident is far longer than the three-day forest fire that ravaged an extensive area of Mt. Pulag in Sitio Tinuping, Eddet in 2018, according to police records.

Caniero said the fire originated in the pine forest of Sitio Bulok, Barangay Adaoay last Feb. 11, and crept across the mountain until it reached Barangay Anchokey up to Barangay Kabayan Paryo near Mt. Pulag.

An abandoned house and several household water pipes connected to mountain springs were destroyed in the fire, Caniero said. No casualties were reported. 

In March last year, at least 10 hectares of forest were destroyed by fire near the open pit of Philex Mines in Sitio Pukis, Ampucao, Itogon, Benguet.

The cause of the latest forest fire is still under investigation.