Forest fire hits Homonhon Island; 100 hectares affected
A HELICOPTER bucket helps put out a fire in Homonhon Island, Guiuan, Eastern Samar. (FB)
TACLOBAN CITY – Authorities continue to battle a forest fire in Homonhon Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar since Friday, April 17.
Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan said the fire affected 80 to 100 hectares of land in eight barangays.
Kwan admitted difficulty in combating the blaze.
“The terrain on the island presents a major challenge for our personnel, so even with help from the community, the BLGU, MDRMMO, and private companies, it keeps spreading quickly and impacting the larger community,” she said.
The Office of the Civil Defense has sent an air asset equipped with a Bambi bucket to put out the fire.
Kwan assured the people that all available resources have been fully mobilized to contain and completely extinguish the fire as soon as possible.
Sixteen personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection and three response teams in Barangays Pagbabangnan, Casuguran, and
Culasi are working on firefighting, investigation, and monitoring efforts.