A forest or brush fire in Sitio Lanipao, Barangay Araibo, Pantukan, Davao de Oro, affected around seven hectares and damaged approximately 73 trees, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region XI.
The DENR, through the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of Davao de Oro and concerned Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (CENROs), deployed foresters and forest technicians to assess the extent of the damage.
The fire was reported on the afternoon of Sept. 2, 2026.
Initial drone mapping showed that around seven hectares were affected, with approximately 73 trees damaged.
The DENR later verified that the fire was confined to Barangay Araibo in Pantukan and did not reach Barangay Mapawa in Maragusan.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) declared the fire out at 5:16 p.m. on Sept. 3, according to the DENR.
The incident was initially responded to by the BFP-Maragusan and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office-Maragusan, while the affected areas were monitored.
Following the assessment, the DENR said it will facilitate the rehabilitation of the affected areas by planting appropriate indigenous tree species suited to the site.
The agency will also establish firelines to help contain future incidents and coordinate with local government units and other stakeholders to strengthen forest fire monitoring and prevention.
The DENR reminded the public to remain vigilant during dry weather and report forest fires immediately.
Truth check: The source does not state the cause of the fire, identify anyone responsible or say that all seven hectares were completely burned. Those details are therefore not included.
