Photo courtesy of Jerome Quejano
MANILA, Philippines – As the fire in Mount Banahaw rages, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has sent its helicopters to help extinguish the wildfire.
The AFP spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala, said the military has already sent three helicopters to conduct Bambi Bucket operations, aerial inspection and damage assessment on the forest fire that swept through the mountain Thursday.
Zagala said that one Huey II helicopter and two UH-1 Huey helicopters, under the use of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, have already been deployed to Sariaya Quezon to support the aerial firefighting operations.
According to Vicente Tobazar, Office for Civil Defense Director for Calabarzon, the fire had hit 50 hectares of land atop Mt. Banahaw. He said ground personnel have managed to climb the mountain to inspect the causes.
He said that there was no need for the citizens to evacuate the area and no citizens are within the five kilometer radius from the fire.
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