Grassfire hits Taal Volcano island, extinguished by Wednesday morning

A grassfire hit Taal Volcano island on Tuesday morning but was extinguished by 2:00 AM Wednesday, according to PHIVOLCS.

The fire started at around 11:24 AM in the southwest portion of the island near the Binintiang Munti Observation Station and was detected by an IP camera at the Agoncillo station.

PHIVOLCS Director Teresito Bacolcol stated that the grassfire was not caused by volcanic activity but could have been due to extreme hot weather or human intervention, such as a cigarette butt, with similar incidents occurring in previous years.

Response teams including the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, and local disaster risk reduction management offices closely monitored and assessed the situation, declaring it under control at 8:42 AM Wednesday.

Initial assessments found that the blaze scorched around three to five hectares of grassland, posing risks to the environment and nearby homes.

Taal Volcano remains under Alert Level 1, indicating low-level unrest without changes to previous safety advisories.

The public is advised to avoid entering TVI due to its status as a permanent danger zone and to report any observed fires to local authorities.