4.5 Hectares of Forest on Mount Ringgit Burn, Teams on High Alert in Sapikerep Village

A forest fire has burned 4.5 hectares of land on the slopes of Mount Ringgit in Sapikerep Village, Probolinggo Regency. The East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) reported that a joint task force is maintaining an intensive watch over the location to prevent the fire from spreading again.

Head of the East Java BPBD, Gatot Subroto, stated that the Rapid Response Team (TRC) of the Probolinggo Regency BPBD, along with other relevant agencies, has been monitoring the situation. “The team has been monitoring and found hotspots. The situation indicates that the fire is beginning to be brought under control. However, we continue to monitor to anticipate the emergence of new hotspots so that the fire does not spread,” he said in Surabaya on Monday (27/7).

The monitoring process is centred in Kedampul Hamlet II, Sapikerep Village. Personnel involved consist of elements from the Probolinggo Regency BPBD TRC, East Java BPBD, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the Indonesian National Police, the Sapikerep Village government, and the local community.

Field reports indicate that the burned vegetation is dominated by dry grass, shrubs, and trees that are easily combustible. This situation is exacerbated by the ongoing dry season. Although the flames have reportedly subsided, the Probolinggo Regency BPBD has not yet ceased its supervision. The joint task force remains on full alert, considering the potential for sudden changes in wind direction that could cause the fire to reignite from hidden embers.

Gatot urged the public to increase their vigilance during the dry season. He noted that extreme hot weather, low humidity levels, and strong winds are the main factors that can trigger future forest and land fires.