A major forest fire broke out on Mt. Apo and has affected more than 100 hectares of forest cover. Dozens of trekkers, who climbed Mt. Apo during the Holy Week, were evacuated as Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) personnel.
A raging fire on the Philippines highest mountain forced hundreds of people to flee from the peak by foot.
Firefighters dug ditches that were seven-feet (two metres) deep in their battle to contain the blaze to stop it from spreading on the tourist hotspot of Mount Apo.
Mount Apo towers over the main southern island of Mindanao, at 3,142 metres above sea level, and is home to forest reserves and the breeding ground for the Philippines’ national bird, the endangered monkey-eating eagle.
Air force helicopters were deployed to survey the damage.