BNPB records two hectares of mineral land destroyed in Parigi Moutong fire

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recorded a forest and land fire affecting approximately two hectares of mineral land in Lobu Mandiri Village, West Parigi District, Parigi Moutong Regency, Central Sulawesi.

Abdul Muhari, Head of the BNPB’s Centre for Disaster Data, Information and Communication, stated in Jakarta on Sunday that the cause of the fire, detected on Saturday (28 February), remains under investigation by the relevant authorities.

“Based on preliminary data, there are no reported casualties from this incident. However, the affected area is estimated to cover approximately two hectares, whilst material losses are still being documented,” he said.

Abdul explained that the rapid response team from the Parigi Moutong Regency Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has coordinated with district officials, village authorities, and local communities to conduct initial response and data collection at the incident location.

The BNPB confirmed that the response is being carried out in an integrated manner, involving multiple stakeholders to control the fire’s spread and prevent it from reaching residential areas or other land.

Currently, fires at several points remain unextinguished. According to Abdul, the primary challenge faced by the response teams is the difficult access to the fire location, which cannot be reached by vehicles, forcing teams to walk to the fire points.

“Efforts to extinguish and control the fire continue to be undertaken gradually, taking into account terrain conditions and the safety of personnel in the field,” he stated.