Satellite data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) detected thermal anomalies indicating possible forest fire activity in a mountainous area between Solsona and Nueva Era, Ilocos Norte, within a 12- to 24-hour observation period.

Based on FIRMS monitoring, the hotspot was recorded along a mountain range near Barangay Maananteng in Solsona, approximately 14 kilometers in air distance from the Solsona Municipal Hall, and in the direction of Barangay Sto. Niño, Nueva Era, about 18 kilometers in air distance from the Nueva Era town proper. The detected thermal anomaly was located along the summit or ridges of the mountain range at an elevation of more than 1,100 meters above sea level, indicating a single fire incident observed from different reference points.

Exclusive photos taken by the Daily Tribune on Monday, 15 December, showed a fire illuminating sections of the mountain range as seen from Solsona and Marcos, Ilocos Norte, raising concern among nearby residents late that night. At the time, the exact location and source of the fire had yet to be confirmed, as it remained unclear whether the affected area was within the territorial boundary of Ilocos Norte.

According to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Fire Superintendent Roxanne Parado confirmed that personnel from BFP Marcos, together with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Marcos, also spotted the fire from their respective vantage points, corroborating reports of fire activity in the mountain range.

As of the latest satellite imagery and monitoring, authorities reported a negative presence of active hotspots in the identified coordinates, suggesting that the fire incident has either subsided naturally or been extinguished.

The BFP said continuous monitoring of NASA FIRMS data is ongoing to watch for any possible re-ignition or new fire activity in the mountainous areas.