Forest and land fires (karhutla) are still occurring in the remote\ninterior of Kapuas Regency. In Katunjung Village, Mantangai District, a\nnew hotspot at a second location has still not been brought under\ncontrol since Friday (21\/8) until this morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe flames at the point located at coordinates -2.2314428,\n114.35173405 are producing thick plumes of smoke. These conditions are\nfurther limiting visibility for the firefighting team while also\nhampering efforts to control the fire,\u201d said the Head of the Kapuas\nRegency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Pangeran S.\nPandiangan, on Saturday (22\/8).<\/p>\n
Moreover, the biggest challenge is not only the fire itself. The\nterrain leading to the location poses a serious obstacle for\npersonnel.<\/p>\n
\u201cLimited land access means the team must use small wooden boats\n(perahu ces) to navigate the river route to the fire location. The\njourney must also be timed according to water conditions because\npersonnel are racing against time before the river level recedes again,\u201d\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Limited communication networks make coordination from the fire\nlocation difficult. Coupled with thick smoke obscuring visibility,\npersonnel must exercise greater caution when moving around the\nhotspot.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccess via the river is also a problem in itself. The team must not\nonly reach the location as quickly as possible, but also consider tidal\nconditions that determine whether the boat can pass,\u201d Pangeran\nadded.<\/p>\n
The spread of the fire is reported to be still expanding. The team on\nthe ground must work extra hard to prevent the flames from spreading\nfurther to other areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cA total of nine personnel have been deployed to handle this hotspot.\nThey consist of three personnel from the Kapuas Kahayan Forest\nManagement Unit (KPHL) and six personnel from the assisted Fire Care\nCommunity (MPA),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Pangeran said that as of now, conditions at the second Katunjung\nhotspot are still not safe enough to be declared under control.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fire status at this second Katunjung coordinate cannot yet be\nbrought under control; the fire is spreading with thick plumes of smoke.\nThe main obstacles remain the absence of communication signals, limited\nvisibility, and dependence on small wooden boats and high tide for\naccess,\u201d said Pangeran.<\/p>\n
Amid these conditions, the Kapuas Regency BPBD Operations Control\nCentre (Pusdalops) continues to coordinate with the forward command post\nto obtain the latest developments from the field.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/forest-and-land-fires-in-kapuas-remain-uncontrolled-due-to-terrain-constraints-1787388748", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }