Residents near Mt. Arayat in Pampanga were alarmed upon seeing a portion of the mountain ablaze evening on April 17, 2024.

Although the fire was visible from Magalang town, the incident occurred in Arayat town, as confirmed by the Magalang Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Office.

According to initial reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Magalang, the fire started around 4 p.m. in the upper part of Barangay Baliti, Arayat, and the cause is still under investigation, as of this writing.

Approximately 18 hectares of land were burned, including a private property and part of the protected forest reservation area of the mountain.

No injuries were reported.

This marks the second forest fire in the mountain in April 2024.

Meanwhile, grass fires also broke out, scorching about 12 hectares of grasslands in Dagupan City and Calasiao, Pangasinan.