Bali's BPBD Maps Forest and Land Fire Potential During Dry Season, Karangasem Most at Risk

The Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) of Bali is mapping several areas that have the potential to experience forest and land fires (karhutla) during the dry season. Karangasem Regency is the area with the highest potential for karhutla.

“The most vulnerable to karhutla is Karangasem because it routinely happens every year,” stated the Head of the Bali Provincial BPBD, I Gede Agung Teja Bhusana Yadnya, when contacted by detikBali on Wednesday (8/4/2026).

In addition to Karangasem, BPBD has also mapped other areas that have the potential for karhutla, such as Buleleng, Bangli, Tabanan, Klungkung, and Denpasar. Hilly areas and those around Mount Agung and Mount Batur are also in the high-risk category.

According to Teja, Denpasar is also expected to feel the impact of land fires during the dry season. This has happened before during the fire at the Suwung landfill in 2023.

Based on previous years, Teja predicts that the peak potential for karhutla in Bali will occur around September to October this year. Nevertheless, he said that the potential for fires could still occur outside that period.

“Like the fire at the Sente landfill in Klungkung which occurred in January 2024,” he added.

In addition to karhutla, BPBD is also mapping the potential for water crises during the dry season in the regions of Buleleng, Karangasem, Jembrana, and Klungkung. So far, he continued, there have been no reports of shortages of clean water due to the dry season.