Antara 18 Jul 19;
Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA) - The Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs has appealed to 11 provincial administrations prone to land and forest fires to impose emergency alert status in their respective regions.
"Regions must soon declare an emergency alert status, because of the total 16 provinces (prone to forest fires), only five have imposed the status," the ministry's Deputy for Public Order and Security Coordination Insp. Gen Carlo B. Tewu remarked during a coordination meeting to evaluate and take precautionary measures against land and forest fires here on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by representatives from 16 provinces prone to land and forest fires, officials of the Environment and Forestry Ministry, Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), and Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG).
Tewu noted that President Joko Widodo had instructed regions to prevent land and forest fires at the earliest.
He noted that governors could declare an emergency alert status based on BMKG's forecast, the number of hotspots, and coverage of potential land and forest fires.
"Regional administrations that have declared (the status) can easily acquire the budget from the government. We prioritize prevention since based on BMKG's information, especially the southern part of Indonesia will experience drier weather until December," he stated.
So far, only the five provinces of Riau, West Sumatra, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan have declared an emergency alert status. Riau has experience in tackling forest fires, he stated.
"We know that Riau has a well-trained task force for land and forest fires. Its governor led the task force. This is remarkable. Local governments have paid significant attention to the fight against land and forest fires," he pointed out.
Spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Agus Wibowo remarked that until July 17, land and forest fires in the country had covered 42,740.42 hectares of land in 24 provinces.
Reporter: FB Anggoro, Sri Haryati
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Military readies six command posts to prevent land, forest fires
Antara 17 Jul 19;
We hope that Kampar District will be free from land and forest fires in future.
Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA) - The Indonesian military (TNI) has set up six command posts to prevent land and forest fires in Bulu Nipis Village, Kampar District, Riau Province.
"This is part of the land and forest fire disaster mitigation efforts under the jurisdiction of the District Military Command 0313/KPR," Commander of the district military 06/SH Captain Hadi Prayitno noted in a statement released on Wednesday.
Establishment of the six command posts, involving the local people, coincided with the implementation of TNI's community service program called TNI Manunggal Membangun Desa (TMMD 105) in Kampar District.
To set up the six command posts, the TNI will build a house in the community. Each command post will have several military personnel, who will be on standby on the field.
In addition to helping combat land and forest fires, TNI personnel will be involved in preventing land and forest fires by making the public aware of the dangers of land and forest fires.
"The tasks and responsibilities of the land and forest fire control task force of the command post 6 will be oriented to routine prevention and patrolling and familiarizing the public with the dangers of forest and land fires," he explained.
Prayitno is optimistic that the TNI's efforts would help curb the number of land and forest fires in Kampar District, in particular, and Riau Province, in general.
"We hope that in future, Kampar District would be free from land and forest fires," he added.
Reporter: Anggi Romadhoni/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Tens of hectares of peatland in Mempawah ravaged by fire
Antara 18 Jul 19;
Pontianak (ANTARA) - Fire, in the last 72 hours, has burnt down over 80 hectares of peatland in Rasau Village, Sui Pinyuh Sub-district, Mempawah District, West Kalimantan, but until Thursday morning, it had yet to be completely extinguished.
"Over 80 hectares have been burnt down, including the pineapple and palm oil plantations owned by residents," Military District Commander of 02/Sui Pinyuh 1201 Regional Military Command of Mempawah Captain Joko Umbrawan stated at Sui Pinyuh.
The 02/Sui Pinyuh Military District Command has deployed 15 personnel to extinguish land fires by deploying firefighters from other relevant agencies.
The Mempawah Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) officers, Manggala Agni, and local residents worked unitedly to put out the fire.
He remarked that the fires in Rasau Village spread quickly, as they occurred on dry peatlands.
"We are overwhelmed in extinguishing the forest fire owing to its difficult-to-reach location, scarce water sources, and limited facilities and infrastructure," he explained.
He noted that the officers had succeeded in putting out fire in some 30 hectares of burnt land.
Umbrawan has urged residents to not clear land by burning since this practice increases the risk of land and forest fires during the dry season as is currently the case.
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Reporter: Andilala/Eliswan Azly
Editor: Suharto
Central Kalimantan needs helitanker to support aerial firefighting
Antara 19 Jul 19;
Sampit, C Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Kotawaringin Timur Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) needs a helitanker to back its efforts to extinguish wildfires ravaging more than 60 hectares of land in Bagendang Hilir Village, Central Kalimantan Province, the agency's official said.
"The aerial firefighting equipment is needed in Bagendang Hilir Village because the fire-ravaged areas are large, and water sources are located around five kilometers away from the main road," Head of the agency's emergency and logistics unit, Yephi Hartady Periyanto, said.
The Kotawaringin Timur District Government had issued a wildfire alert status to anticipate the occurrences of land and forest fires, from July 3 to Oct 30, 2019, Periyanto said while speaking to journalists here Thursday.
The wildfires have ravaged certain areas outside Sampit city amid this year's dry season.
The fires engulfed the areas of Bagendang Hilir Village in Mentaya Hilir Utara Subdistrict; Batuah Village in Seranau Subdistrict; and Ujung Pandaran Village in Teluk Sampit Subdistrict, he said.
The worst wildfires were found in Bagendang Hilir Village because the ravaged areas had reportedly reached more than 60 hectares while the width of areas that firefighters could have extinguished just reached around 15 hectares, he said.
"The hurdle is the location which is so far away and it is difficult to access water sources," he said.
Several provinces in the Indonesian islands of Kalimantan and Sumatera have frequently been at the receiving end of recurring bush and forest fires partly due to vulnerable peatlands, and the ongoing agricultural practice of slash and burn.
In South Sumatra, the police had issued an ultimatum to the province's plantation companies and farmers to not use slash and burn methods during this year's dry season.
The slash and burn agricultural practice is completely prohibited as it can trigger the occurrences of land and forest fires that cause a haze. (INE)
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Reporter: Kasriadi, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Seven villages in Kapuas Hulu prone to forest, land fires
Antara 18 Jul 19;
Putussibau, Kapuas Hulu (ANTARA) - Seven villages in the Kapuas Hulu District, West Kalimantan, are prone to forest and land fires, according to the local Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD).
The Kapuas Hulu BPBD noted that the prone areas comprise the villages of Penai and Bangkong in Silat Hilir Sub-district, Ranyai Hilir Village in Seberuang Sub-district, Madang Permai Village in Suhaid Sub-district, Hinterland and Sekulat areas in Selimbau Sub-district, and Sepandan Village in Batang Lupar Sub-district, with a vast area of peatland.
"There will be a team comprising members of the TNI (military), Polri (police), BPBD, and community assigned to the seven villages," Task Force Head of Kapuas Hulu BPBD Rupinus stated in Putussibau, the capital of Kapuas Hulu District, Thursday.
"The joint team will conduct routine patrols that will also be assisted by community elements in the sub-district area," he added.
Rupinus elaborated that Kapuas Hulu BPBD had also established a land and forest fire control post at the Secretariat of the Kapuas Hulu District Fire Service Office to coordinate efforts to prevent and handle forest and land fires.
He also appealed to the Kapuas Hulu community to remain vigilant to the possibility of forest and land fires and to not conduct activities, such as using fire for land clearing, which could trigger forest and land fires.
"We often raise awareness and disseminate information to the community on the dangers of forest and land fires, and we hope no forest fire would arise in Kapuas Hulu, as it can have broad-ranging impacts," Rupinus emphasized.
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Reporter: Teofilusianto/Eliswan Azly
Editor: Suharto
