The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has
deployed at least 40 technical personnel to assist in the containment of forest
fire that erupted on Mt. Apo since Saturday (March 26).
As this developed, DENR Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje directed DENR Region
11 Director Joselin Marcus E. Fragada to discuss with concerned local
executives the plan to temporarily close the country’s highest peak to campers
to prevent a repeat of the fire incident.
“Upon hearing about the incident, we lost no time mobilizing our
personnel from our provincial and community environment and natural offices in
Digos City to help prevent the spread of forest fire in nearby areas,” Paje
said.
The environment chief said that the DENR regional office in Davao
City has been providing equipment and technical support to composite teams of
concerned local government units, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) that were tasked
with suppressing the wildfire.
“Each of the seven composite teams now up in Mt. Apo has DENR
personnel providing technical assistance, particularly in the use of
geographical position system or GPS and control maps, including the
establishment of fire lines to prevent the fire from further spreading,” Paje
said.
A fire line is a gap in vegetation or other combustible materials
that will act as barrier to slow down or stop the fire from spreading.
Paje also reported that a Super Huey chopper from the Philippine
Air Force was deployed in the area on Tuesday (March 29) to conduct water
bucket operation.
“Water dropping commenced at 9 a.m. on Tuesday but ended at 11:30
a.m. due to poor visibility. A total of 10 buckets equivalent to 30 drums have
been dropped,” he said.
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