Kanlaon fire put out, but danger zone still off-limits

LA CASTELLANA, Negros Occidental—The fire that ate up 400 hectares of grassland near the crater of Kanlaon Volcano was put out on Thursday, authorities said.

Supt. Rodolfo Dinaga, Negros Occidental fire marshal, said at least 60 firefighters worked the whole day on Thursday to ensure that the blaze would not reach the forest land located 4 kilometers away.

After putting out the fire, firefighters were advised to immediately pull out since they were within the 4-km radius permanent danger zone of the volcano.

“It is a dangerous place to be in since Kanlaon might have another phreatic explosion,” he said.

Kanlaon, an active volcano on Negros Island, erupted on Tuesday, releasing ash, fiery rocks and other volcanic materials, triggering a grass fire on the La Castellana side of the volcano.

Ash fell on several villages in the towns of La Castellana, La Carlota and Bago City, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The volcano was calm after Tuesday’s phreatic explosion.

The Phivolcs advisory on Thursday said four volcanic earthquakes had been recorded from 5 a.m. Wednesday to 5 a.m. Thursday.

Steam is still seen coming out of the volcano.

Phivolcs has raised alert Level 1, which meant the volcano is in a state of unrest.

Entry into the volcano’s permanent danger zone is prohibited as volcanologists said Kanlaon might erupt again.

Kanlaon is one of the country’s active volcanoes although it has not erupted for some time.