20 feared trapped as fire hits Banahaw

LUCENA (4th UPDATE) -- A fire broke out on Mount Banahaw in Sariaya, Quezon on Wednesday, with 20 people feared trapped on the mountain, authorities said. The Quezon Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) said it received information that members of a sect engaged in mysticism earlier went up the mountain and might have lighted candles, causing the fire. "Hindi natin matiyak hangga't walang datos na natatanggap pero worst case scenario ay posibleng may na-trap at pinaghahandaan iyan," said Ernesto Amores Jr., head of Sariaya Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The area where the fire hit is known as "Durungawan." It is covered with grass and trees, and is around 1,900 meters above sea level. The fire has affected around 30 hectares on the mountain as of Thursday morning, authorities said. Dr. Henry Buzar of the Quezon PDRRMC said the fire was spreading due to winds. The fire erupted at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. As of posting, a portion of the blaze has been put out. The PDRRMC, however, said it fears that the fire will spread further and last for about a week. The extent of damage was still undetermined as of posting. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has approved the deployment of three choppers that will attempt to put out the fire and assess the extent of the damage. 20 feared trapped Rescuers are looking for information on the people who are in the area affected by the fire. They will search for the 20 people who went up the mountain through the trail in Dolores, Quezon on Thursday morning, officials said. Reports said the Protected Area Superintendent Office (PASO) under the DENR did not allow people to go up the mountain. The PDRRMC has established three monitoring stations in Barangay Concepcion Pinagbakuran and Barangay Sampaloc Bugon at the foot of the mountain. The monitoring teams were tasked to formulate a solution to prevent the fire from further spreading to the foot of the mountain, where 100 homes are built. The PDRRMC earlier said that due to safety concerns, rescuers must wait until morning before they can climb the mountain. The fire can be seen from the Maharlika Highway in Lucena City. A nearby mountain, Cristobal, was also hit by fire earlier this week but it has been put out, local officials told ABS-CBN News. Banahaw has become a popular destination not only for mountaineers, but also for groups believing in the mystical powers allegedly found in the mountain. - reports from Junry Hidalgo, dzMM; Val Balita and Angelique Atienza, ABS-CBN News Southern Tagalog