5 hectares of farm in Malolos burned; some residents evacuated

About 5 hectares of farmland in this city in Bulacan caught fire on Wednesday, causing thick smoke that affected some residents, authorities said.

At noon on Wednesday, a grassfire was reported in a large part of Barangay Dakila, but due to the strong winds, the fire quickly spread to the dry straw.

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During the initial investigation in Malolos, it was found that a farmer burned the dry straw on his farm.

Due to the intense sunlight, it easily caught fire even on the lawn.

According to Rhoderick Marquez, city fire marshal of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) of Malolos, burning is prohibited.

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“Marami po tayong ipinakalat na tarpaulin, isang malaking tarpaulin at isang maliit na tarpaulin sa bawat barangay na sinasabi nating meron po tayong ordinansa na bawal po ang pagsusunog. Kayo po ay mapaparusahan,” said Marquez.

The said farmer was allegedly fined P1,500 and scheduled to perform community service according to the punishment of the Malolos local government ordinance.

Meanwhile, BFP has lent drums with water to the owners of farms in the city to quickly extinguish any fires.

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Some motorists, on the other hand, had difficulty driving, especially since thick smoke enveloped the road next to the burning straws.

5 hectares of farm in Malolos burned; some residents evacuated

Thick smoke also reached some nearby residents who were immediately rescued by firefighters.

According to some residents, they could not breathe because of the smoke, but their barangay helped them evacuate temporarily.

Meanwhile, a fire lasted for more than 1 hour in a sugarcane plantation in Nasugbu town, Batangas, Thursday night.

According to the Nasugbu Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, they were called before 9 p.m.

The plantation in Barangay Lumbangan is on a private lot.

The Nasugbu Fire Station said the fire reached an area of ​​300 square meters.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze at 9:40 p.m.

No property or people were affected by the grass fire.

The top 3 causes of fire in the country are faulty electrical connections, lit cigarette butts, and open flames from unattended stoves, according to the  Bureau of Fire Protection.

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