Ilocos Norte grassfires affected 287 hectares, says OCD

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

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

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.

The wildfire in Barangay Barbaquezo was initially reported by the Carasi Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) at 2:30 p.m. on 30 January 2025.

The Ilocos Norte Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) declared the fire under control by noon the next day and officially extinguished by 2 p.m. However, operations continued to ensure the area’s safety.

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

Meantime, the Carasi Municipal Police Station and the 1st and 2nd Philippine Marine Force Companies also provided security and firefighting assistance.

The NDRRMC deployed two helicopters, a Black Hawk and a Huey, to support firefighting efforts.

Reports also said that 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 creating fire lines to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.

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