The Philippine Air Force (PAF) deployed its air assets on Sunday to assist in firefighting efforts, conducting helicopter-bucket operations to combat a massive fire that erupted in Isla Puting Bato, Tondo, Manila.
In a statement, the PAF announced the deployment of multiple aircraft, including a Black Hawk, B205, and Sokol helicopters, which conducted numerous heli-bucket operations by dropping water on the affected areas to suppress the flames.
The Black Hawk helicopter from the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing completed 15 sorties, while the B205 and Sokol helicopters from the 505th Search and Rescue Group conducted 26 and 59 sorties, respectively.
The fire started at around 8 a.m. and escalated to Task Force Charlie by 12:58 p.m.
It reportedly engulfed over 1,000 structures and displaced approximately 2,000 families.
The Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office stated that ‘fire out’ was declared at 4:07 p.m.
