Banyumas Disaster Management Agency Strengthens Preparedness for Forest and Land Fires Amid Drought
Purwokerto (ANTARA) - The Banyumas Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) in Central Java is strengthening its preparedness for handling forest and land fires (karhutla) following the region’s entry into the ‘high alert’ or red status for potential meteorological drought during the first ten days of September 2026.
The Head of Operations for the Banyumas BPBD, Dwi Irawan Sukma, stated in Purwokerto on Saturday that drought conditions must be anticipated early, as dry environments can increase the potential for forest, land, and residential fires.
“Based on data, 28 forest and land fire incidents have been recorded in Banyumas, covering a total area of 24.868 hectares. The most recent occurred in Karanganyar Village, Patikraja District, on Thursday (3/9), affecting one hectare of land,” he said, accompanied by the Head of Emergency and Logistics at Banyumas BPBD, Abdul Ladjis.
According to him, efforts to handle forest and land fires should not only be undertaken once a fire has occurred but also through prevention and mitigation steps to reduce the potential emergence of fire sources.
In relation to this, he urged the community not to clear land by burning, not to burn rubbish without supervision, and not to discard cigarette butts carelessly.
“These steps are important because even a small fire source can develop into a larger blaze when environmental conditions are dry,” he said.
In addition to increasing vigilance against potential fires, he stated that the public is also requested to report immediately if they find fire hotspots or fire incidents so that handling can be carried out as early as possible.
“Community preparedness is a vital part of handling forest and land fires, especially during drought conditions. Prevention must be carried out collectively so that the potential for fire does not develop and spread,” he said.
He also reminded the public to take steps to conserve clean water, as Banyumas is under high alert for potential meteorological drought for the period of 1–10 September 2026.
Therefore, he requested that the community use clean water efficiently, particularly for daily domestic needs.
“Meanwhile, in the agricultural sector, we hope the community will conserve and regulate water distribution for agricultural land,” he said.
He noted that vigilance against forest and land fires needs to go hand-in-hand with efforts to anticipate other impacts of the drought.
He expressed hope that the public would not only conserve water usage but also protect the environment to prevent it from becoming a trigger for fires.
“We invite all layers of society to increase preparedness during this drought period by avoiding activities that have the potential to cause fire and by immediately reporting fire incidents to accelerate field handling,” said Dwi.