Ilocos Norte grassfire destroys 287 hectares of land, says OCD

At least 287 hectares of land were destroyed due to the recent grass fire in the mountainous area of Carasi, Ilocos Norte, the Office of the Civil Defense reported Sunday. 

Citing recent data, the OCD reported that 50 hectares of the affected land were part of the National Greening Program managed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.

The grass fire in Barangay Barbaquezo was initially reported by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Carasi at 2:30 p.m. on 30 January. 

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Ilocos Norte declared the fire under control by noon the next day, officially extinguishing it by 2 p.m. However, operations remained ongoing to ensure the safety of the area.

The Carasi MDRRMO, in collaboration with the BFP and forest rangers, joined forces to contain the fire and lessen its intensity.

The Carasi Municipal Police Station, along with the 1st and 2nd Philippine Marine Force Companies (PMFC), also provided security and assistance in the firefighting efforts. 

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) deployed two aerial assets, including a Black Hawk and a Huey helicopter, to support firefighting efforts.

The Philippine Air Force Tactical Operations Group 1 arrived in Ilocos Norte on Friday to conduct heli-bucket operations.

Aerial reconnaissance was carried out on Saturday morning to assess the situation on the ground.

The OCD discussed the creation of fire lines to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.

DENR forest rangers continue to monitor residual smoke from the grass fire area.