ONE SPARK IS ALL IT TAKES: Dry spell raises forest fire risk in Iloilo, PGENRO warns

ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO) has urged the public to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary burning as hot, dry weather raises the risk of forest and grass fires.

Forester Mitzi S. Peñaflorida, PGENRO supervising environmental management specialist, warned that dry leaves and grasses could easily catch fire and allow flames to spread rapidly, particularly when winds are strong.

“Even a small spark can cause fire to spread rapidly,” Peñaflorida said in a media interview Tuesday.

Hikers, campers urged to take care

She particularly cautioned residents of upland communities against burning, while reminding those in lowland areas to remain vigilant and practice fire safety.

Hikers and other visitors to mountainous areas were also urged to observe responsible camping practices, especially when cooking outdoors.

Peñaflorida emphasized the importance of completely extinguishing campfires and remaining embers before leaving campsites.

She also warned against throwing cigarette butts in areas with dry vegetation, noting that these could serve as ignition sources.

Buffer zones, swift reporting

Farmers were urged to establish cleared buffer zones measuring 5 to 10 meters between agricultural lands and forest areas to help contain fires and keep them from spreading.

PGENRO also recommended planting fire-resistant vegetation along these boundaries to further reduce the risk of fire spreading from farms to nearby forests.

Peñaflorida pointed out that containing forest fires in mountainous areas is difficult because fire trucks cannot easily reach remote locations.

“Declining water levels could further complicate firefighting operations,” she added.

To strengthen public awareness, the provincial government and local government units have been coordinating fire prevention advisories, particularly in municipalities with popular hiking destinations, including Tubungan and Igbaras.

The advisories remind residents and visitors to observe safety precautions amid the prevailing dry spell.

Peñaflorida also stressed the importance of reporting forest fires to authorities immediately to ensure a swift response and keep the flames from spreading to larger areas.

“Preventing forest fires is not solely the responsibility of the government but also requires the cooperation of everyone,” she said.

Fires in the last El Niño

The province recorded several forest and grass fires in different parts of Iloilo in 2024, coinciding with the El Niño phenomenon, which brought prolonged dry conditions to several areas.

One of the incidents occurred on Feb. 21, 2024, when a forest fire broke out on Mount Panay in Barangay Dalije, Miag-ao.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported that the blaze affected approximately 3.5 hectares and 200 square meters of land before it was extinguished in the early hours of Feb. 22.

Two days later, on Feb. 23, another forest fire razed a portion of a mountainous area in Sitio Lublub, Barangay Ginot-an, San Joaquin.

Daily Guardian reported at the time that the San Joaquin fire engulfed approximately 10 hectares, mostly bamboo stands managed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), before the BFP declared it contained at around 2 a.m. the following day.

Fire officials then suspected that a carelessly discarded cigarette butt on dry leaves had triggered the blaze, though the exact cause was still under investigation.

El Niño to strengthen

Iloilo province officially entered a dry spell on Nov. 1, according to an advisory issued by the provincial government based on the latest assessment of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Under PAGASA’s classification, a dry spell refers to three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall, or 21% to 60% below average, or two consecutive months of significantly below-normal rainfall.

A dry condition, the milder category, refers to two consecutive months of below-normal rainfall.

PAGASA declared El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific on June 9 after sea surface temperature anomalies reached the 0.5-degree Celsius threshold in May.

The weather bureau expects El Niño to strengthen toward the end of 2026, with climate models showing it becoming very strong by the October-to-December season, and to continue into the first half of 2027.

Western Visayas is forecast to experience below-normal rainfall through November.

Much drier conditions are expected from December through March.

El Niño is characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.