BALANGA CITY, Bataan – A five-hour grassfire Monday razed more than ten hectares of cogonal lands and destroyed some banana plants in Upper Tuyo, Balanga City.
The fire that lasted from 7:00 a.m. to past 12:00 noon should have destroyed more plants and mango trees and some houses had it not been for the vigilance of farmers and the arrival of two firetrucks from the Balanga City’s Bureau of Fire.
Farmer Henry Odover said the blaze started at a low slope at the back of Casa Blanca, a mango plantation in Roverville Subdivision in barangay Tuyo.
Workers of the mango plantation used little sprayers and wet clothes tied on sticks to prevent the fire from creeping over the mango trees. The fire spread fast on the vast “kugonan” and “talahiban”.
Firefighters found it hard at first to go near the fire in the absence of a road to the cogon fields. The firetrucks made the rounds of the area from barangay Munting Batangas to the Siosonville subdivision to the Bahay Puso and finally to the Roverville Subdivision.
Firefighters finally decided to stay at an open area near houses to block the spread of the blaze at the residential area of the subdivision.
Frightening roars of the grassfire were heard as little birds scampered for safety. Thick smokes were seen as if engulfing the whole area.
The fire that lasted from 7:00 a.m. to past 12:00 noon should have destroyed more plants and mango trees and some houses had it not been for the vigilance of farmers and the arrival of two firetrucks from the Balanga City’s Bureau of Fire.
Farmer Henry Odover said the blaze started at a low slope at the back of Casa Blanca, a mango plantation in Roverville Subdivision in barangay Tuyo.
Workers of the mango plantation used little sprayers and wet clothes tied on sticks to prevent the fire from creeping over the mango trees. The fire spread fast on the vast “kugonan” and “talahiban”.
Firefighters found it hard at first to go near the fire in the absence of a road to the cogon fields. The firetrucks made the rounds of the area from barangay Munting Batangas to the Siosonville subdivision to the Bahay Puso and finally to the Roverville Subdivision.
Firefighters finally decided to stay at an open area near houses to block the spread of the blaze at the residential area of the subdivision.
Frightening roars of the grassfire were heard as little birds scampered for safety. Thick smokes were seen as if engulfing the whole area.
