Albay bushfire under control

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – Heavy rains triggered by Super Typhoon Jose and the continuous firefighting operation by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) helped contain a bushfire that erupted in Rapu-Rapu in Albay starting Sunday.

The blaze forced some 2,000 families in the affected areas to evacuate.

Classes were suspended after hectares of grassland, timberland and coconut plantations went up in smoke in the villages of Poblacion, Mananao, Morocboroan, Guadalupe and Buenavista.

“It’s a miracle. The PAF dropped 45,000 liters of water but it failed to control the blaze. We asked for cloud seeding but no plane was available. We ordered forced evacuation and the people cooperated. God answered our prayers. It rained hard enough,” Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said.

Salceda flew in a Huey helicopter to the site yesterday morning to supervise the ground operation. He said there were no casualties, no injuries and no missing persons reported as damage has yet to be assessed.

The Albay provincial social welfare and development office unloaded some 200 bags of rice for the evacuees.

“Another PAF flight mission is off to Rapu-Rapu while a Bureau of Fire Protection rescue team and personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will conduct mapping, mopping and clearing operations for the remaining embers,” Salceda said.

Lt. Col. Louie Angeles, head of the PAF Tactical Operations Group in Bicol, said the bushfire had been contained after a Huey helicopter dumped some 8,000 liters of sea water since Monday and another 52,000 liters in four sorties on the same day.

Rapu-Rapu Vice Mayor Nora Onate blamed charcoal makers for the bushfire, which also razed crops and coconut trees in Sitio Minto on Batan Island. – With Cet Dematera