Fire hits sections of Arayat forest in Pampanga
MOUNTAIN BLAZE Fires that hit the northern section of Mt. Arayat Protected Landscape (MAPL) in Pampanga from April 25 to April 27, captured in this night shot taken from Magalang town, damaged 352 hectares, exposing the soil and increasing risks of landslides. —Photo courtesy of Brian Del Mar/Pampanga State Agricultutal University MAPL project
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA, Philippines — A series of fires over three days scorched 351.66 hectares of the 3,726.28-ha Mt. Arayat Protected Landscape (MAPL) in Pampanga, damaging parts of 10 reforestation projects, according to a report obtained by the Inquirer on Wednesday.
The four separate fires erupted between April 25 and April 27 on the northern slopes of the inactive volcano, affecting communities along the boundaries of Magalang and Arayat towns, Roger Encarnacion, provincial officer of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), told the Inquirer.
On those days, the heat index ranged from 38 to 40 degrees Celsius, according to data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
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The first fire broke out at 10 a.m. on April 25 in Barangays Sto. Niño and Turu in Magalang. A second fire broke out later that day, affecting both Magalang’s Turu and Arayat’s La Paz Turu, and was extinguished by 10:30 p.m.
On April 26, strong winds and intense heat reignited the fire in La Paz Turu by morning.
“Although it was intermittently suppressed, it continued to reignite throughout the day,” Encarnacion said. The fire died down by 8 p.m.
Due to the steep terrain, Bureau of Fire Protection trucks were unable to reach the blaze.
In response, Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. requested assistance from the Office of Civil Defense in Central Luzon and the Philippine Air Force’s Tactical Operations Group in Clark Freeport.
Bambi buckets
On April 27, two aircraft were deployed to conduct aerial firefighting using Bambi buckets, or specialized water containers suspended on cables.
Encarnacion reported that a total of 40 bucket drops, sourcing water from the Pampanga River feeding the Cong Dadong Dam south of Mt. Arayat, put out the fire by 5:30 p.m. Just an hour later, by 6:30 p.m., local farmers helped put out another blaze at Barangay San Juan Baño in Arayat.
This marked the first known instance in which the DENR deployed Bambi buckets for a fire that reignited multiple times.
Encarnacion said the cause of the fire was still under investigation but was suspected to have originated in Turu, Magalang.
The affected sections of MAPL are part of the 811-ha National Greening Program reforestation areas, planted with timber, bamboo, fruit trees and cacao.
“The immediate loss of ground cover has exposed the soil, increasing the risk of erosion, especially during rainfall, and reducing the area’s capacity to retain moisture, both critical for forest recovery,” Encarnacion warned.
To aid restoration, he proposed a large-scale replanting of native species such as “kupang,” “banaba” and “tibig,” alongside the establishment of fire lines and community-based fire lookout stations.
