THE weeks-long forest fire in the upland Cordillera region has prompted Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos to ask the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for studies on how to address the problem.

In the recent Ugnayan with DILG, BFP and the Media, Abalos floated the idea of considering the procurement of equipment and acquiring aerial responders to make it easy for firefighters to suppress grass fires.

The DILG chief also told Fire Chief Director Louie Puracan to come up with a program and recommendation that will help prevent the occurrence of forest fires so that the government may consider and include it in the modernization program.

Reports from the fields particularly in mountainous areas mention difficulties in responding to bushfires because of the terrain firefighters have to hurdle going to the location.

And since the government’s fire trucks could not make it because of the steepness, fire personnel are left with no other option but to trek carrying with them shovel and pickaxe (piko) among others as an alternative in preventing grass fires from spreading further.

When asked how these gears be of a helpful use, BFP-National Capital Region director Chief Supt. Tahum Tarroza explained: “Ganito yon. . .,kung saan papunta ang sunog, uunahan mo na, pipikuhin at aalisin na yung mga tuyong damo at ibang bagay na nagko-contribute ng mabilisang apoy. Ibig sabihin Maghuhukay ka para malalagyan mo ng hangganan ang paparating na apoy.”

Abalos echoed that in addressing this problem, firemen need firefighting paraphernalia through the acquisition of a (fire) chopper.

“Actually ang forest fire is all over the world,” he said as he lamented that the Philippines is the only Asian country that has no helicopter or aerial fire responder.

Forest fires or bushfires usually occur during hot months or summer.

The DILG chief also mentioned the need to capacitate communities in grassfire-prone areas and make them more active in fire prevention in constant coordination with the BFP and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Abalos was referring to the bushfires in the upland region Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) that lasted for weeks.

In several instances, forest fires resulted in effects and damages such as loss of valuable timber resources, degradation of catchment areas, loss of biodiversity, and extinction of plants and animals.

Report documents obtained by the Journal showed that a wildfire broke in the grassy mountainous areas of Itogon, Benguet particularly in Sitio Binungaan, Brgy, Tinongdan, some 12 kilometers from the nearest road and the site was unreachable due to steep terrain last February 19.

The fire rapidly progressed towards the mountainous part of Bgy. Bisal, Bokod, Benguet with an estimated land area affected as more or less 15 hectares.

Uncontained, the fire continued and was at Sitio Binungaan the next day while some portions of the blaze already reached the hilly side of the barangay.

On February 21, the wildfire shifted to Sitios Salipapa in Mt. Inuman ridge then traversed to Sitios Katikala and Salishet.

The fire location was far from the residential areas of the barangay.

On the 23rd of February, the fire had already damaged an estimated 22 hectares of land area.

BFP-CAR director Senior Supt. Robert Pacis told this writer on the phone that there are still ongoing cases of forest fires recorded in some areas of the region and his men are actively doing their mandate in the field.

Puracan said that he instructed the BFP-CAR to be always on its guard against these summer forest fires.

The BFP chief also advised troop camping activities to always follow the guidelines being set by every local government unit and the Department of Environment and Natural Resource (DENR), especially in the protected areas.