Guiuan: The Philippine Air Force (PAF) said Wednesday its air units, through the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing and Tactical Operation Group 8, conducted an aerial reconnaissance mission to assess the ongoing grass fire in Homonhon Island, Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

According to Philippines News Agency, PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco, in a statement, said the activity on Tuesday was done in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Bureau of Fire Protection - Guiuan Fire Station. She added that the activity aims to "enhance situational awareness" in support of continuing response operations.

"The PAF is set to conduct additional sorties utilizing heli-bucket operations to support aerial fire suppression and contain the ongoing fire," Basco noted. She also emphasized that the PAF is committed to supporting inter-agency efforts to mitigate the incident and ensure the safety of affected communities.

The grass fire in Homonhon Island broke out on April 19, with the PAF so far holding two separate heli-bucket operations on the same day. According to OCD 8 (Eastern Visayas), the fire remains under active assessment and is still to be contained.

As this developed, the PAF said it conducted heli-bucket operations over the affected area Wednesday. A total of 10 heli-bucket sorties were executed to maximize water drop operations in support of ongoing efforts to contain the fire and prevent its further spread, the PAF said in a statement. These aerial suppression activities were carried out to augment ground firefighting units and improve overall response efficiency in the affected area. The sustained collaboration between air and ground forces underscores the importance of coordinated operations in addressing fire incidents.