THE deep well in Duenas, Iloilo.
ILOILO CITY — Authorities urged residents to take precaution after a water well being dug up in Dueñas town, Iloilo province spewed flames due to the presence of methane.
“Residents and property owners refrain from smoking, lighting fires, or conducting activities that may generate sparks in the immediate vicinity of the well,” said the Western Visayas office of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-6).
The EMB-6 conducted an investigation after photos and videos surfaced online of a fire emanating from the water well that was drilled at 150 feet and supposed to be used for irrigating a farmland.
“The incident gained public attention after residents observed that a flame could be produced when gas emanating from the well was exposed to an ignition source,” noted EMB-6.
According to EMB-6, this is not the first time a flammable water source was recorded in Dueñas town. A similar case was also found in Barangay Tinocuan.
“While similarities have been observed between the two incidents, further technical evaluation is necessary to determine whether they have a common geological origin,” the EMB-6 noted.
The EMB-6 will be working with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-6, another attached agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-6, to determine the geological origin.
While EMB-6 has not fully identified the source of the methane found at the water well, it will conduct additional field investigation to determine potential environmental and public safety implications.
The EMB-6 is coordinating with the Department of Energy (DOE), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the local government unit (LGU) of Dueñas for a comprehensive evaluation.