Bromo Forest Fires Spread, House Commission IV Calls for Improved Handling SOP

Deputy Chairman of House Commission IV, Alex Indra Lukman, has highlighted the forest and land fires in the Mount Bromo area, calling for improvements to the standard operating procedure for handling such incidents. Alex stated that the fire in the Bromo area has now reached 720 hectares. According to him, the extensive burnt area is partly influenced by the region being dominated by grasslands, which allows the fire to spread easily. “The current problem is the constraint we face, with the technology we have like water bombing, it is difficult because of the thick smoke, so it is a matter of aviation safety,” Alex told reporters on Monday. Furthermore, Alex mentioned that weather modification cannot yet be carried out because the area does not meet the objective requirements for its implementation. “Weather modification cannot be done there, because it does not meet the objective requirements,” he said. “So far, the partner of Commission IV is the Ministry of Forestry, meaning Manggala Agni. Our colleagues there, in my view, we appreciate them, are struggling on the ground to prevent the fire from spreading further,” he continued. However, according to the PDIP politician, handling forest and land fires also requires systemic improvements in the future. He encouraged the use of more advanced technology to tackle the fires. “We hope the weather will be supportive so that water bombing can be carried out. Going forward, there are several things we must think about. The first is the use of far more advanced technology, besides water bombing and weather modification. There could be a type of liquid or gel that can be sprayed from the air for extinguishing,” he explained. In addition to technology, Alex urged the Ministry of Forestry to improve the management of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park area by turning the relevant unit into a Public Service Agency. “So that the Head of the Agency there can maximise the non-tax state revenue they receive to build cooperation with the communities there to protect and care for the Bromo National Park area,” he stated. Alex also assessed that there needs to be a single party acting as commander in handling forest and land fires, particularly when a fire has already occurred and crosses administrative boundaries. “In a situation like this, there should be a commander who is fully responsible. In this case, it is actually the BNPB. Because it has already happened, right?” he said. “Because if it is an area, the authority lies with the Ministry of Forestry. Regarding mitigation, that should be the responsibility of the Ministry of Forestry. But if it has already happened and it crosses administrative boundaries, the commander should be the BNPB. So, going forward, we urge that their SOP be truly improved,” he added. Previously, Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni reviewed the handling of the forest and land fires in the Mount Bromo area on Sunday. He stated that water bombing helicopters would be used to their maximum capacity until the fire is extinguished. A number of hotspots still burning include areas at the P-30 Cliff in Sumber District, Probolinggo Regency, and around Mount Dingklik in Tosari District, Pasuruan Regency. Aerial firefighting, said Raja Juli, is one of the key strategies to reach hotspots that are difficult for ground crews to access. “As of today, they are operating until 5 p.m. Western Indonesia Time. Because the weather is good today. Yesterday they only went until 1.30 p.m., then there were strong winds and fog returned. Starting today it is clear,” said Raja Juli.