Foresters mobilized to contain fire in Agusan Marsh
Published Sep 13, 2019 04:23 pm
By Mike Crismundo
BUNAWAN, Agusan del Sur – Government foresters were mobilized Friday to try and put out the fire in estimated 63-hectare wetlands near the protected area of Agusan Marsh in landlocked Agusan del Sur province.
The photo is part of the fire that is currently ongoing in the peatlands within the Bayugan lll area in Rosario town, Agusan del Sur. (Photo courtesy of DENR-13 RPAO, Bunawan CENRO/MANILA BULLETIN)
The fire is currently raging in Bayugan III in Rosario town.
Bunawan Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) Forester Jerome I. Albia is forwarding daily reports to Regional Executive Director (RED) Atty. Felix S. Alicer.
The CENR Officer of Bunawan already asked the help of Bantay Danao Conservation Group volunteers, through the Protected Area Superintendent (PASu) and Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) as local researchers, to help contain the fire.
There are 120 Bantay Danao Volunteers from the marsh communities of the municipalities of Bunawan, La Paz, Loreto, Rosario, San Francisco and Talacogon, all in Agusan del Sur.
Albia also created a task force to investigate on what originated the fire.
Reports said dark smoke has been billowing from the area for several days since the fire began that prompted alarmed local foresters and local officials to call for firemen from the nearest station about 25 kilometers away.
Initial report from CENR Officer Albia said the firefighters tried but failed to penetrate into the exact location of the fire because the area is “swampy” and considering the water and vegetation of peat soil.
Initial findings of CENRO Albia believed that about 63.97 hectare of drained peatland was damaged by fire.
“We are not sure of the situation yet in the area whether the fire in the peatland was contained and under control,” the Bunawan CENR Officer in his initial report to RED Alicer.
He said a team from the Bunawan CENRO and the Protected Area Superintendent Unit ( PASU) were sent to investigate the fire in the peatland. “We have received reports from the team that area is inaccessible due to soft and watery soil,“ said CENRO Albia, in an exclusive interview with The Manila Bulletin on Friday.
Some villagers in the area believed that the fire sparked on August 25, 2019.
He said a drone was used to spot the exact location of the fire and the photographs revealed some areas already swath of peatland was reduced to ashes. “It could be that somebody wants to convert that portion into paddy fields” he said.
He said authorities are still looking into the report “slash and burn” method to plant crops by some farmers and natives in the area.
CENRO Albia told RED Alicer and the Agusan del Sur Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Jose Flavio Concha about the alarming situation although the peat fire has already stopped from spreading yet there could be embers glowing that might spark another fire.
“The estimated 63-hectare- burned-drained peatland is something we are trying to examine closely “ CENRO Albia said. “We cannot relax until we are sure the fire is completely put out,“ the Bunawan CENR Officer pointed out.
He said there are areas where drained peat from decomposed wood from dense swamp forest and formed meters thick and kilometers wide is considered 99 percent combustible. Peat does not burst into flames so much and instead of towering fires, it produces thick walls of foggy smoke, it was gathered.
CENRO Albia said has already coordinated with other private organization concerned with the Agusan Marsh for assistance, aside from the local government units.
He said he is expected confer with the LGUs surrounding in the Agusan Marsh to discuss the issue and find appropriate remedy to establish more effective methods to prevent peat fire in the future.
A similar incident had happened in Indonesia in 2015 when peat fires generated toxic haze and released a globally significant amount of greenhouse gases with severe impact on public health.
Based on findings, “when large areas of carbon-rich soil catch fire, the blaze emits a massive amount of carbon into the atmosphere and creates a thick haze. The haze from burning peat in Indonesia on that year was responsible for more than 100,000 premature deaths in Indonesia and its neighboring countries. “And that is what we are worried about? “ CENRO Albia said.
The photo is part of the fire that is currently ongoing in the peatlands within the Bayugan lll area in Rosario town, Agusan del Sur. (Photo courtesy of DENR-13 RPAO, Bunawan CENRO/MANILA BULLETIN)
The fire is currently raging in Bayugan III in Rosario town.
Bunawan Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) Forester Jerome I. Albia is forwarding daily reports to Regional Executive Director (RED) Atty. Felix S. Alicer.
The CENR Officer of Bunawan already asked the help of Bantay Danao Conservation Group volunteers, through the Protected Area Superintendent (PASu) and Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) as local researchers, to help contain the fire.
There are 120 Bantay Danao Volunteers from the marsh communities of the municipalities of Bunawan, La Paz, Loreto, Rosario, San Francisco and Talacogon, all in Agusan del Sur.
Albia also created a task force to investigate on what originated the fire.
Reports said dark smoke has been billowing from the area for several days since the fire began that prompted alarmed local foresters and local officials to call for firemen from the nearest station about 25 kilometers away.
Initial report from CENR Officer Albia said the firefighters tried but failed to penetrate into the exact location of the fire because the area is “swampy” and considering the water and vegetation of peat soil.
Initial findings of CENRO Albia believed that about 63.97 hectare of drained peatland was damaged by fire.
“We are not sure of the situation yet in the area whether the fire in the peatland was contained and under control,” the Bunawan CENR Officer in his initial report to RED Alicer.
He said a team from the Bunawan CENRO and the Protected Area Superintendent Unit ( PASU) were sent to investigate the fire in the peatland. “We have received reports from the team that area is inaccessible due to soft and watery soil,“ said CENRO Albia, in an exclusive interview with The Manila Bulletin on Friday.
Some villagers in the area believed that the fire sparked on August 25, 2019.
He said a drone was used to spot the exact location of the fire and the photographs revealed some areas already swath of peatland was reduced to ashes. “It could be that somebody wants to convert that portion into paddy fields” he said.
He said authorities are still looking into the report “slash and burn” method to plant crops by some farmers and natives in the area.
CENRO Albia told RED Alicer and the Agusan del Sur Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Jose Flavio Concha about the alarming situation although the peat fire has already stopped from spreading yet there could be embers glowing that might spark another fire.
“The estimated 63-hectare- burned-drained peatland is something we are trying to examine closely “ CENRO Albia said. “We cannot relax until we are sure the fire is completely put out,“ the Bunawan CENR Officer pointed out.
He said there are areas where drained peat from decomposed wood from dense swamp forest and formed meters thick and kilometers wide is considered 99 percent combustible. Peat does not burst into flames so much and instead of towering fires, it produces thick walls of foggy smoke, it was gathered.
CENRO Albia said has already coordinated with other private organization concerned with the Agusan Marsh for assistance, aside from the local government units.
He said he is expected confer with the LGUs surrounding in the Agusan Marsh to discuss the issue and find appropriate remedy to establish more effective methods to prevent peat fire in the future.
A similar incident had happened in Indonesia in 2015 when peat fires generated toxic haze and released a globally significant amount of greenhouse gases with severe impact on public health.
Based on findings, “when large areas of carbon-rich soil catch fire, the blaze emits a massive amount of carbon into the atmosphere and creates a thick haze. The haze from burning peat in Indonesia on that year was responsible for more than 100,000 premature deaths in Indonesia and its neighboring countries. “And that is what we are worried about? “ CENRO Albia said.