Forest fire hits Itogon, Benguet

(PHOTO FROM THE PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE)

MANILA, Philippines — A forest fire in Itogon, Benguet has been ongoing for several days now, authorities said on Tuesday. 

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) said the fire, which began on Jan. 26, affected the villages of Dalupurip and Tinongdan.

On Jan. 27, the PAF deployed a total of two Huey helicopters in a bid to extinguish the forest fire, which has affected around 50 hectares of land.

A Huey helicopter on Tuesday also conducted heli-bucket operation in the area.

“Despite operational limitations at night and the challenging mountainous environment including strong winds, the 505th Search and Rescue Group of the Philippine Air Force has extinguished 60 [percent] of the forest fire in the mountains of Itogon, Benguet,” the PAF said in a statement.

The PAF said it is working on reaching the 90 percent containment rate before declaring the fire under control. (Melanie Tamayo, INQUIRER.net intern)