The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported Sunday that the recent grass fire in the mountainous area of Carasi, Ilocos Norte affected a total of 287 hectares of land.
According to the OCD, 50 hectares of the total land affected were part of the National Greening Program overseen by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The grass fire in Barangay Barbaquezo was initially reported by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Carasi on Thursday, January 30, at 2:30 p.m.
By noon the next day, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Ilocos Norte declared the fire under control, officially extinguishing it by 2 p.m. However, operations continued to ensure safety in the area.
Efforts to contain the fire were led by the Carasi MDRRMO, in coordination with the BFP and forest rangers, who worked together to prevent the fire’s spread and reduce its intensity.
The Carasi Municipal Police Station, along with the 1st and 2nd Philippine Marine Force Companies (PMFC), provided additional security and support.
On Friday, the Philippine Air Force Tactical Operations Group 1 arrived in Ilocos Norte to carry out heli-bucket operations.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) also deployed two aerial assets—a Black Hawk and a Huey helicopter—to reinforce firefighting efforts.
Aerial reconnaissance was conducted on Saturday morning to evaluate the situation. During a meeting, officials discussed measures such as creating fire lines to prevent future outbreaks and continuous monitoring of remaining smoke by DENR forest rangers.