A forest fire that lasted more than two hours burned down approximately 70 hectares of forested area, covering four barangays, in Oslob town in southern Cebu late Saturday evening, April 6. Fortunately, no houses were affected. Photo courtesy of Oslob MDRRMO / Facebook
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The El Niño phenomenon here not only brought damages to agriculture and threats to water supply. But also a number of fires including large wildfires like the one that hit Oslob town recently.
In turn, disaster and rescue officials from Cebu province urged the public to avoid outdoor fires, or pagdaob in Cebuano, to prevent similar ones in the future.
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“Giphangyo namo (the public) nga likayan gyud pagdaob usa. Ilabi na karon grabe ang tung init tungod sa El Niño,” said Wilson Ramos, information officer at the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
(We are urging (the public) to avoid outdoor fires for now. Especially now that the heat is really high due to the El Niño.)
In fact, having outdoor fires are prohibited by law, Ramos said.
Over the past several days, several grassfires occurred not only in Metro Cebu but also in some areas in Cebu province.
The biggest one was a wildfire that ravaged 70 hectares of forest and grass land that affected four mountain barangays in Oslob last April 6.
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Other grassfires were also reported in Toledo City, Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City.
According to Ramos, even small, reckless actions like throwing lit, cigarette butts on a dry patch of grassland can grow into a big, grass fire in a matter of seconds.
“Maong hangyo gyud nato kun mahimo dili magdaob, o likayan gamayng butang makasiga og mga sagbot kay uga gyud kaayo atong nga yuta, kabukiran karon,” he said.
(That is why we are appealing to the public if they can please avoid outdoor fires, o avoid small things that can cause a spark to start a fire that can burn thrash or grass because the soil in our mountains are really very dry.)