DENR may close Mount Apo to tourists in wake of fire

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is mulling the temporary closure of Mount Apo to tourists, according to a report on GMA News TV's News To Go.

This is in the wake of an intense fire that ravaged as much as 400 hectares of forests and grass on Mount Apo's slopes.

The fire started on Sunday, and continues to rage even though portions have already been contained. The original cause of the fire has yet to be officially determined.

DENR Secretary Ramon Paje already instructed the its local arm to reach out to local government units to discuss the temporary closure of Mt. Apo.

The bureau already dispatched 40 people to help extinguish the fires in Mt. Apo. DENR is using geographical position system and control maps to help volunteers identify where fires are. They are also making use of fire lines to prevent the spread of the blaze. — Kiersnerr Gerwin Tacadena/TJD, GMA News