Drying Peatlands Increase Forest and Land Fire Threat in South Kalimantan
The dry season and arid air have triggered a surge in forest and land fire (karhutla) cases across South Kalimantan (Kalsel).
The condition has caused Peat Hydrological Areas (KHG) to begin drying out, including vital areas around Syamsudin Noor International Airport in Banjarbaru.
“From our field monitoring, river and retention pond water levels have dropped quite significantly due to the dry season. Likewise, peatlands have started to dry out, so vigilance is needed,” said the Head of the South Kalimantan Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Roni Eka Saputra, on Saturday (11 July).
As an anticipatory measure, BPBD South Kalimantan is promptly carrying out rewetting of critical peatlands to prevent the potential for more widespread fires.
“We know that peatland fires are difficult to extinguish, so prevention must be carried out as early as possible, especially in ring one around Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarbaru,” he said.
Based on field observations, fire hotspots continue to emerge across South Kalimantan, including in Banjarbaru. Several fire locations have even been detected in areas adjacent to Syamsudin Noor Airport, which could threaten flight operations if smoke haze thickens.
SYNERGY BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF FORESTRY AND JOINT TEAMS
Handling karhutla in South Kalimantan is now a priority for the Ministry of Forestry. Through the Forest Fire Control Centre (Dalkarhut) for the Kalimantan Region and the Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement, the central government is directly assisting regional task forces.
Last week, a joint team from the Ministry of Forestry, together with the Tanah Laut Regency BPBD and the Manggala Agni Kalimantan VI/Tanah Laut Operations Area (Daops), extinguished a karhutla blaze in the Tanggul area, Padang Village, Bati-Bati Subdistrict, Tanah Laut Regency.
FIRES IN SETTLEMENTS AND MARKETS
Beyond threatening forests and land, extreme weather and dry air have also triggered a series of fires in residential and economic centres.
On Friday (10 July), a major fire swept through the Pasar Lima area of Banjarmasin, destroying at least 162 stalls.
The Head of the Banjarmasin City Fire and Rescue Service, Hendro, said the size of the affected area meant firefighting efforts took up to 10 hours.
The blaze, which began at around 01:30 Central Indonesia Time in the early hours, was only fully brought under control by 11:00 Central Indonesia Time.
The destroyed market block was known to sell various daily necessities, from dried fish and household appliances to groceries and building materials. Material losses from the disaster are estimated to reach billions of rupiah.