DENR orders review of forest fire prevention measures

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered its field offices to review their existing forest fire prevention measures in anticipation of the increase in man-made forest fire incidents amid the dry season and the easing of quarantine restrictions.

“Forest fires are mostly fueled by human activities, making it imperative for us to recalibrate our response readiness and forest fire prediction alertness to pre-pandemic levels. This calls for a tighter coordination with people’s organizations and family beneficiaries of the National Greening Program (NGP),” acting Environment Secretary Jim Sampulna said in a statement issued recently.

Sampulna said that forest fires are usually set off by kaingin or the slash-and-burn method of farming, smoking of honeycombs to gather honey, cigarette butts and other forms of activities that involve fire.

He said the easing of restrictions on people’s movement due to the decrease in the number of COVID cases may contribute to an increase in forest fires.

The move to recalibrate the fire prevention measures is part of DENR’s parnership with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), which has been conducting training for the agency’s  field personnel and implementers on the various aspects, technicalities and principles of forest fire prevention.

BFP-trained DENR field personnel recently conducted forest fire preparedness and response training with upland communities, particularly those covered by the expanded NGP.

Records showed that forest fire incidents went down to 429 in 2020 from 1,282 in 2019.

The DENR attributed the decrease to strict lockdown measures imposed during the pandemic.