CARASI, Ilocos Norte – A grass fire struck this town on Thursday afternoon, Jan. 30.
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SMOKE from a grass fire in Carasi, Ilocos Norte. (OCD FB)
The Bureau of Fire Protection-Ilocos Norte on Friday, Jan. 31, declared that the fire in the mountainous parts of Barangay Barbaquezo and Virbira is under control.
Heli-bucket operations are ongoing to saturate the areas surrounding the affected area and minimize possible recurrence of fire, the BFP-Ilocos Norte said.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Ilocos Norte said an estimated 287 hectares of land were affected. About 50 hectares were part of the National Greening Program of the DENR.
The Carasi Police Station led by Police Capt. Janery Samoden and the 102nd Infantry Battalion are assisting the BFP in putting out the fire.
Office of Civil Defense-Ilocos Director Laurence Mina is monitoring ongoing response operations and has met Carasi Mayor Robella Gaspar about the fire.
The OCD-Region 1 is coordinating with the Tactical Operations Group-1 and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has deployed two air assets in the area while one air asset is on standby.
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has established an Incident Management Team with MDRRM Officer Marc Stanley Bulil-lit as incident commander.
Photos provided by the OCD showed thick plumes of smoke billowing from a distance as the fire razed the area throughout the night.
Authorities are battling the blaze to prevent it from reaching Mount Lammin in Piddig, Ilocos Norte, which was closed to visitors two weeks ago to prevent grass fires despite its status as the home of the largest coffee plantation in the Ilocos region and relatively cold weather which makes it an emerging tourist attraction in the province.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire.
Carasi is about 40 kilometers east of the provincial capital Laoag City and 524 kilometers north of Manila. (With a report from Martin Sadongdong)