Fire also hits Sagada forest

BAGUIO CITY — Forest fires have been razing portions of Sagada in Mountain Province since the first week of February, authorities said.

Senior Fire Officer 4 Jose Sudicalan, the town fire marshal, said they have responded to seven reported forest fires in the last three weeks.

On Thursday, a fire razed at least four hectares of forest in Barangay Poblacion about 2 p.m., Sudicalan told the Inquirer.

Another fire destroyed a forest area in Barangay Aguid about 7 p.m. that day.

“We went to Aguid but the site of the fire was not easily accessible so we’re not able to extinguish the fire,” he said.

Sudicalan estimated that around 10 hectares of Sagada forest were destroyed by the separate forest fires. The cause of the forest fires was not immediately known.

On Wednesday, some 60 hectares of forest area that straddles two Benguet towns were destroyed by fire, killing five people./lzb