Somebody Accidentally Set Mt. Pulag on Fire, and Here’s What the Aftermath Looks Like

Last Saturday, Mt. Pulag was devastated by a fire caused by a hiker’s butane gas stove. According to a statement by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the blaze began at around 3:00 p.m, and was extinguished by 9:15 p.m. By that time, 1.5 hectares of grassland had been destroyed.

Photos on the BFP’s Facebook page show all that’s left of Mt. Pulag’s Saddle Camp.

Filipinos were understandably outraged, and shared photos of the damage on Facebook and Twitter. A photo by J.A. Lopez depicts flames blazing along the ridge, while other show smoke rising from the mountain.

As of today, the summit is still off limits to hikers. This incident serves as a painful reminder that we should all take care not to damage our natural surroundings, and leave the places we visit exactly as they were when we arrived.