BPBD Lumajang urges residents to remain vigilant for new hotspots after Ranupani forest fire

The Lumajang Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has urged residents to remain vigilant for the emergence of new hotspots following a forest and land fire (karhutla) in the Bukit Sentong area, Ranupani village, Lumajang regency, East Java, on Tuesday (25/8).

“The forest fire was successfully brought under control by a joint team. Although the flames have been contained, cooling operations are still being carried out to ensure there are no embers that could potentially trigger another fire,” said Isnugroho, Head of BPBD Lumajang, at the local BPBD office on Wednesday.

According to him, the fire was reported at around 10.00 WIB, with the affected area temporarily estimated at less than one hectare. The location remains within the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS).

“Handling was carried out swiftly by involving various elements to prevent the fire from spreading, and the flames were successfully extinguished on Tuesday (25/8) afternoon. After the fire was brought under control, the joint team continued the cooling process to ensure that any remaining embers could be dealt with, thereby reducing the risk of new hotspots emerging,” he said.

He stated that the fact the fire has been contained does not mean vigilance can be relaxed. The area that has just experienced a fire still needs to be monitored because remaining embers have the potential to become a source of fire again.

“Residents and visitors in forest areas are also urged to collectively increase their vigilance and avoid any activities that could potentially trigger fires in vulnerable areas,” he said.

He explained that preventing forest and land fires is important because the impact is not only related to the burned area, but can also disrupt ecosystems, environmental quality, and the activities of communities around forest areas.

“Forest fire handling needs to be carried out from two sides, namely rapid response when a fire occurs and prevention involving the community before the fire appears,” he said.

Isnugroho said that protecting the Ranupani area from fire is not only the duty of officers in the field, but a shared responsibility. He therefore urged residents and tourists to help keep the slopes of Mount Semeru green and beautiful.