East Java BPBD intensifies water bombing to tackle Mount Arjuno forest fires

The East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) is intensifying water bombing operations to accelerate the handling of forest and land fires (karhutla) in the Mount Arjuno-Welirang area, Pasuruan Regency.

Head of East Java BPBD Gatot Soebroto, in a statement received in Pasuruan, East Java, on Tuesday, said the joint team is still carrying out firefighting efforts via land routes, while aerial operations using a PK-DAP helicopter with a capacity of 1,000 litres are being conducted to reach fire hotspots that are difficult to access.

“On the 21st the fire had actually been extinguished, but due to the weather it reignited, so from that point we have been carrying out water bombing until today,” said Gatot.

Gatot noted that as of Tuesday (25/8), water bombing operations had been carried out in eight sorties with a total of 8,000 litres of water dropped on the fire-affected area at two hotspots below the summit of Mount Arjuno that are difficult to reach by land.

Based on data from the East Java BPBD Operations Control Centre (Pusdalops), the area affected by forest and land fires in the Mount Arjuno-Welirang area as of Tuesday reached 146.85 hectares.

Meanwhile, he explained that around 30 joint team personnel are carrying out firefighting efforts via land routes through the Sumber Brantas hiking trail in Batu City and Tretes in Pasuruan Regency, with the burned vegetation consisting mostly of mountain cypress, alang-alang grass, and shrubs.

He also expressed appreciation for the involvement of the Pasuruan Regency BPBD, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), Manggala Agni, and the East Java Forestry Service, who are on standby at the Kaliandra Forest Fire Command Post in Prigen District, Pasuruan Regency, in handling the fire.

“Because the weather on Arjuno changes easily, water bombing cannot always be carried out, but we hope today’s operation can be maximised so that the affected area is extinguished soon,” said Gatot.