BAGUIO CITY – The Bureau of Fire Protection-Cordillera logged 63 forest fires which destroyed 322 hectares of forests here and the province of Benguet from January 1 to February 23.
An estimated 20 hectares of forest were affected by a fire in the Philippine Military Academy area in Barangay Kias here.
A forest fire hit the mountain in Barangay Spring Hills, Loakan, and Apugan and Navy Base Sinagued on Friday, February 23. How many hectares were affected are yet to be determined.
The town of Bokod in Benguet had the most hectares affected by forest fire – 200 in Barangay Bobok, 60 in two sitios in Barangay Ambuklao, and 20 in Barangay Bobok-Bisal.
In Sitio Binungaan, Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet, 17 hectares were affected and five in Sitio Millsite, Camp 6, Barangay Camp 4, Tuba.
No one was reported injured in these forest fires attributed to the dry spell caused by the El Niño phenomenon.
The Office of the Civil Defense-Cordillera continues to coordinate with the Philippine Air Force for helicopter bucket operations to support ground fire suppression activities.