A grassfire broke out on Taal Volcano Island on Tuesday morning, causing concern for authorities due to its proximity to the PHIVOLCS’ Binintiang Munti (VTBM) Observation Station. The fire began at around 11:24 AM in the southwest part of the island.
Reyan Derrick Marquez, Division Chief of the OCD-CALABARZON DRRMO, said that the Bureau of Fire Protection raised the first alarm as the fire was about 400 meters away from the observation station. By 2:45 PM, personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Coast Guard, and San Nicolas Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office attempted to assess the situation, but were unable to reach the station due to difficult access.
Marquez noted that while the fire affected the PHIVOLCS station temporarily, the transmission of data was restored by around 7:00 PM. The island is within the permanent danger zone, and access is usually restricted.
PHIVOLCS is continuing to monitor the situation, with Alert Level 1 still in place over Taal Volcano.