A grass fire partially damaged one of the Chocolate Hills in Bohol after it was believed to have been started by an unattended bonfire, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said Friday.

Fire Supt. Anthony Arroyo, BFP spokesperson, said the fire broke out Sept. 1 in Barangay Sagbayan Sur, Bohol, sometime between 9 and 11 a.m.

Firefighters completely extinguished the blaze at 12:05 p.m., about three hours after it started, Arroyo said in an interview with DZRH’s Damdaming Bayan.

“Yung nangyaring sunog sa isang chocolate hill sa Bohol, specifically sa Sagbayan Sur ay naapula na ng same day mga after 3 hours ng incident,” said Arroyo.

The fire was contained to a single hill and did not spread to nearby Chocolate Hills, he said. The affected hill was partially burned.

“Hindi na ito kumalat sa ibang nearby hills, na-confine lang siya sa isang hill,” the fire official said.

Arroyo said the initial investigation indicated that an unattended bonfire caused the fire to spread through the grass.

He reminded the public that open flames are prohibited, warning that even small embers or sparks can be carried by strong winds and ignite vegetation, particularly in dry areas.

The BFP also urged campers to exercise caution when using cooking equipment and to ensure that fires and embers are completely extinguished before leaving their campsites.

“Make sure na kung talagang gagamit nito ay hindi mag-iiwan ng any embers na pwedeng maging dahilan ng sunog,” Arroyo said.

Local authorities and other agencies continue to monitor the area and remind visitors to avoid practices that could trigger grass fires, Arroyo said.