Forest fires hit Occidental Mindoro mountains

IN FLAMES A forest fire engulfs parts of the Susong Dalaga Mountain at Barangay Batasan in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, in this photo taken on March 25. The blaze was the second to hit
a forest area of the province in the past nine days and authorities are blaming human activities, such as “kaingin” (slash-and-burn farming), for these incidents. —ARDEN PIMENTEL/CONTRIBUTOR

CITY OF CALAPAN—Two forest fires razed parts of the mountains of Occidental Mindoro in the last nine days, destroying at least 150 hectares of endemic pine trees and forcing the closure of a popular trekking site in the province, officials said on Monday.

The latest of the two incidents of forest fire struck Mount Susong Dalaga in Barangay Batasan in San Jose town at 5:25 p.m. on March 25 and lasted for about 12 hours, according to the local station of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).Fire investigators said the blaze gutted some 2,000 square meters of Batasan’s forest area, and the flames were put out only at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday.

According to the BFP, firefighters had to navigate the steep terrain and cross several rivers to reach the area.

It said the cause of the fire was still under investigation, noting that no one was injured since there were no communities in the area.

In Sablayan town, the local tourism office closed the popular trekking destination locally known as “Little Baguio of Mindoro” following the forest fire that hit the mountainous area between March 17 and March 19.

Safety reasons

Charlou Ormega, officer in charge of the Sablayan municipal environment office, said the fire destroyed 150 ha (1.5 million sq m) of forest pines that were endemic to the province and a few areas in the country and Southeast Asia. The affected area traverses the upland villages of Pag-asa and San Agustin.

Ormega said the site was closed to trekkers from March 21 until March 31 for safety reasons.

“The grassy areas and other vegetation on the trail were gone, making the area dangerous due to the steep slope and loose soil,” Ormega said in an interview on Monday.

An initial investigation pointed to “kaingin,” or slash-and-burn farming, as one of the possible causes, he said.

Citing witnesses, Ormega said the fire could have also been caused by honey gatherers who used fire to drive away bees.

“This happens yearly from March to May or during the summer. The area is far and wide, making it difficult to determine who is responsible [for the forest fire],” he said. INQ