LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – More than eight hundred seventy-two hectares of forest lands and watershed reservations in the different parts of the province had been significantly damaged by some 52 non-structural fires that ravaged these during the first quarter of this year.
Benguet provincial fire marshal Fire Superintendent Jessie Annasiw claimed that the affected forest and grasslands and watershed reservations this year is more than three times compared to the only 251 hectares ravaged by some 14 non-structural fires recorded in the province during the same period last year.
He disclosed that among the identified causes of the non-structural fire incidents that transpired in the different forestlands and watershed reservations in the province include open flame from farmlands or agricultural land clearing operations, popularly known as slash and burn farming, children playing with match sticks and lighters and open flame from rubbish or bonfires.
According to him, numerous newly planted tree seedlings in the various burned forestlands and watershed reservations were destroyed during these fire incidents when these should be spared from fires to ensure they will grow and serve their purpose of helping in carbon sequestration and prevent soil erosion.
Annaswi also expressed his gratitude to the various firefighters from the different parts of the province and those coming from outside local governments for their support to the Benguet provincial fire station in containing the fire incidents in the different forested communities and watershed reservations over the past several months.
He pointed out that people engaged in the slash and burn type of farming should take all necessary precautions to prevent the fire from their farms from getting out of control and torching nearby tree stands, incidents that will surely affect the efforts to preserve and protect the environment.
Annasiw urged the public to put premium on the efforts to allow the newly planted trees to grow so that the present generation will be able to pass on to the future generations a good state of the environment for them to enjoy the fruits of a well-protected environment.
