A forest and bush fire damaged approximately seven hectares of forestland and affected around 73 trees in Sitio Lanipao, Barangay Araibo, Pantukan, Davao de Oro on Wednesday.
The incident prompted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 11 (DENR 11) to assess the extent of the damage and fast-track rehabilitation efforts.
The DENR 11, through the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Davao de Oro and concerned Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (CENROs), deployed foresters and forest technicians to assess the fire-affected area through drone mapping.
Based on initial reports portions of Sitio Lanipao in Barangay Araibo, Pantukan, and Barangay Mapawa in Maragusan were affected.
However, subsequent verification by DENR personnel confirmed that the fire was confined to Barangay Araibo and did not reach Barangay Mapawa, Maragusan.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), which responded to the incident along with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO)-Maragusan, declared the fire out at 5:16 p.m. on Thursday.
With the extent of the damage, DENR 11 said it will focus on preventing another fire from spreading in the area and restoring the affected forestland.
“Following the completion of the area assessment, the DENR will facilitate the immediate rehabilitation of the affected areas, particularly through the planting of appropriate indigenous tree species suited to the site,” the agency said.
The DENR 11 will also establish firelines in the affected area to help contain potential future forest fires and strengthen protection of remaining vegetation.
“The DENR 11 is also coordinating with concerned local government units and other stakeholders to strengthen monitoring and fire prevention efforts in the area,” the agency said.
The agency urged residents and visitors to remain vigilant, especially during dry weather, and to immediately report forest fires to authorities to prevent the further destruction of forest resources.
DENR 11 said the rehabilitation plan will prioritize indigenous tree species appropriate to the site to restore the forestland affected by the fire.
