Forest and Land Fires in Kapuas Remain Uncontrolled Due to Terrain Constraints

Forest and land fires (karhutla) are still occurring in the remote interior of Kapuas Regency. In Katunjung Village, Mantangai District, a new hotspot at a second location has still not been brought under control since Friday (21/8) until this morning.

“The flames at the point located at coordinates -2.2314428, 114.35173405 are producing thick plumes of smoke. These conditions are further limiting visibility for the firefighting team while also hampering efforts to control the fire,” said the Head of the Kapuas Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Pangeran S. Pandiangan, on Saturday (22/8).

Moreover, the biggest challenge is not only the fire itself. The terrain leading to the location poses a serious obstacle for personnel.

“Limited land access means the team must use small wooden boats (perahu ces) to navigate the river route to the fire location. The journey must also be timed according to water conditions because personnel are racing against time before the river level recedes again,” he said.

Limited communication networks make coordination from the fire location difficult. Coupled with thick smoke obscuring visibility, personnel must exercise greater caution when moving around the hotspot.

“Access via the river is also a problem in itself. The team must not only reach the location as quickly as possible, but also consider tidal conditions that determine whether the boat can pass,” Pangeran added.

The spread of the fire is reported to be still expanding. The team on the ground must work extra hard to prevent the flames from spreading further to other areas.

“A total of nine personnel have been deployed to handle this hotspot. They consist of three personnel from the Kapuas Kahayan Forest Management Unit (KPHL) and six personnel from the assisted Fire Care Community (MPA),” he said.

Pangeran said that as of now, conditions at the second Katunjung hotspot are still not safe enough to be declared under control.

“The fire status at this second Katunjung coordinate cannot yet be brought under control; the fire is spreading with thick plumes of smoke. The main obstacles remain the absence of communication signals, limited visibility, and dependence on small wooden boats and high tide for access,” said Pangeran.

Amid these conditions, the Kapuas Regency BPBD Operations Control Centre (Pusdalops) continues to coordinate with the forward command post to obtain the latest developments from the field.