BNPB: 41 Hectares of Land Burnt in Central Java Triggered by Waste Burning

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has stated that the activity of burning waste or leaf litter triggered fires that scorched more than 41 hectares of land in Grobogan and Klaten, Central Java.

Berton SP Panjaitan, Acting Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Centre, stated in Jakarta on Monday that the burnt area comprised two hectares in the Grobogan region and 39.25 hectares in Klaten, Central Java.

The land fire in Grobogan Regency threatened vital access routes as it was located near the highway and railway line in Bandungharjo Village, Toroh District.

“The land fire in Grobogan occurred on Sunday (13/9). The Grobogan Regency BPBD Rapid Response Team is on-site to manage and extinguish the fire using ground spraying,” he said.

Berton explained that joint teams are currently performing cooling operations at the former fire sites to ensure there are no remaining embers that could potentially trigger new hotspots in the two-hectare area.

Meanwhile, the larger-scale land fire in Klaten, caused by the burning of leaf litter, occurred the previous day, Saturday (12/9).

According to BNPB data, the land fire in Klaten burnt a total of 39.25 hectares spread across four districts, namely Bayat, Prambanan, Wonosari, and Juwiring.

All fire points resulting from the leaf litter burning in Klaten Regency were successfully fully extinguished by joint teams on Sunday (13/9).

BNPB has urged the public to stop the habit of burning leaf litter or waste indiscriminately during the dry season, particularly around dry land areas and public transport crossings.