Dozens of Hectares of Land in Karangasem Scorched in Two Days

Dozens of hectares of land in Karangasem Regency, Bali, have been scorched over the past two days. The fires were spread across two districts, namely Abang and Kubu.

The Head of Firefighting and Rescue at the Karangasem Fire and Rescue Service (Damkartan), I Made Suartika, said firefighters had to travel considerable distances to tackle the blazes. According to him, the land fires occurred at four locations.

“Two days ago we handled one location, yesterday there were three. In fact, yesterday’s firefighting efforts were only completed in the early hours of this morning,” Suartika said on Saturday (29/8/2026).

Suartika said the total area of burnt land handled over the two days reached 17.6 hectares. He noted that the flames were extinguished before spreading to residential areas and local residents’ plantations near the fire sites.

In addition to the land fires, the Karangasem Fire and Rescue Service also received a report of a rubbish fire next to Goa Raja Temple in Besakih on Friday (28/8). Local residents were concerned that the flames might spread to the temple building nearby.

“The rubbish fire next to Goa Raja Temple in Besakih was also assisted by the Klungkung Fire and Rescue Service because it was closer,” Suartika said.

Karangasem Fire and Rescue Service personnel and vehicles remain on standby as the potential for further land fires persists. Several areas in Kubu and Abang districts are particularly dry during the current dry season.

Suartika urged residents to always be careful when lighting fires, especially in areas covered with dry cogon grass or similar vegetation. “We are always on standby 24 hours a day; as soon as a report comes in, we immediately move to the location to handle it. Hopefully there will be no more fires,” he added.