Babel forms cyber command post to accelerate forest fire handling

The Bangka Belitung Islands Provincial Government has formed a cyber command post for forest and land fires (karhutla) and drought, as a measure to accelerate the handling of natural disasters resulting from the extreme dry season in the region. “Today, we are establishing a technology-based command post from the provincial level down to villages and sub-districts,” said Governor of the Bangka Belitung Islands, Hidayat Arsani, following a disaster response troop assembly for the 2026 karhutla season in Pangkalpinang on Monday. He stated that the establishment of the technology-based karhutla and drought management command post is intended to monitor hotspots, coordinate integrated patrols, and integrate reports from the public, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Indonesian National Police, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and other relevant agencies in a unified manner. “With this cyber command post, disaster handling will be faster in extinguishing forest and land fires and addressing drought within the community,” he said. He noted that if a forest or land fire occurs, village and sub-district officials as well as residents can report it through this cyber command post, and personnel from BPBD, the fire brigade, the police, the TNI, and other related agencies will arrive as quickly as possible to handle the fire. “The joint task force will arrive in the shortest possible time, thereby minimising losses from the fire’s impact,” he said. Bangka Belitung Islands Police Chief, Inspector General Viktor T. Sihombing, said the establishment of this command post is to enhance preparedness for natural disasters caused by the extreme dry season resulting from the El Niño phenomenon. “If there is a report of a fire incident, we will immediately deploy police personnel, the TNI, BPBD, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), and others to extinguish the forest and land fire,” he said. He urged the public and plantation business operators not to use burning methods when opening new land, as this has the potential to cause large fires that harm other communities. “We urge the public not to use fire, including burning rubbish. Sometimes burning rubbish seems small, but if left unattended, the fire will grow larger, and we must control the fire while it is small. A small fire is a friend, but a large one becomes a foe,” he said.