Lanao del Sur forest fire a wake up call to upgrade BFP capability

A blaze raged in a forest in Gurain village of Tugaya town, Lanao del Sur on March 18 evening. Photo courtesy from BFP-Lanao del Sur

ILIGAN CITY–Separate forest fires in the hinterlands of Tugaya town, Lanao del Sur on the evening of March 18 had made apparent the problem of lack of firetrucks in many towns of the province.

Firefighters of the Bureau of Fire Protection from Marawi City and Marantaw town and personnel from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office responded to and contained the forest fires that broke out around 7 p.m. in the village of Puthad and another in the village of Gurain, some 23 kilometers southeast of Marawi City.

Senior Fire Officer 3 Sahara Gania said the fires did not affect the residential area below hence no person was reported injured nor properties damaged.

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The BFP declared a fireout at early dawn of March 19. They are yet to release the estimated area of the forest damaged by the fires.

Gania said Tugaya is one of nine municipalities in the province that have fire stations but are not equipped with firetrucks.

Of the province’s 39 towns, 21 are still without fire stations.

In light of the forest fires, Fire Senior Inspector Israel M.Kamid , provincial fire marshall, warned the residents against burning their garbage to prevent a similar incident amid the long dry spell.