Blaze hits Banahaw; several people believed trapped

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – A fire broke out on Mount Banahaw in Sariaya, Quezon on Wednesday, with several people believed trapped on the mountain.

Initial reports from the Army’s Southern Luzon Command said the fire started around 7:19 p.m. when some 20 pilgrims lighted a candle for a ceremony.

The revered mountain spans the boundaries of Laguna and Quezon, attracting thousands of devotees every year, especially in the run-up to Holy Week. The devotees perform rituals to supposedly recharge their spirituality.

Quezon Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council chief Henry Buzar also said they received information that some people went up the mountain and lighted candles, causing the fire.

Officials said the fire broke out in the area known as “Unang Dungaw,” between Barangay Sampaloc Bogon and Barangay Concepcion in Sariaya. The area is covered with grass and is around 1,900 meters above sea level.

The fire has already affected some 50 hectares on the mountain as of yesterday morning, authorities said.

Residents in villages within the five-kilometer radius of the blaze have been alerted for possible evacuation, officials said.

The military has deployed three helicopters to put out the fire and assess the extent of damage, Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Miguel Okol said.

Vicente Tomazar, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council regional director, said government troops including firefighters were unable to reach the fire due to the steepness of the area.

“Fire is still spreading as of the moment,” Tomazar said.

He added military helicopters were unable to climb to a higher altitude due to strong winds.

“The Philippine Air Force could not use a bucket (to control the blaze with water air drop), it will only sprinkle down because of the high altitude,” Tomazar said.

And since the water airdrop operation has little effect in putting out the blaze, Tomazar said they are planning cloud seeding operations to induce rain over Mt. Banahaw.

“We are (also) trimming the trees to establish a fire lane. It’s like building a canal, to prevent the fire from crossing to other areas; we are also looking at conducting cloud-seeding operations,” he said.

Tomazar gave assurance that no one has been reported injured in the fire. He added they are verifying reports that 20 people who are members of a religious group were trapped in the area.

“We, together with fire volunteers, are validating the said report, but so far negative,” Tomazar said.

Tomazar reported that combined teams of mountaineers and firefighters dispatched to search for those who might have been trapped found and escorted to safety 11 devotees who sought refuge at Barangay Kinabuhayan in Dolores town.

He said hikers and pilgrims are not allowed on Mt. Banahaw to protect the mountain from degradation.

“The local government and the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) wanted to preserve Mt. Banahaw to protect the environment from any climbers and they are not allowed to go there,” Tomazar said. 

The fire occurred just a day after another blaze engulfed Mt. Cristobal in Laguna, which is adjacent to Banahaw.

The grass fire reportedly burned some 100 hectares of land on Tuesday and lasted until dawn Wednesday.

DENR park superintendent Salud Pangan said they received information that reckless bee collectors caused the blaze. – With Ed Amoroso, Jaime Laude