Four Regencies in Central Java Still Battling Forest and Land Fires

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has reported that joint firefighting teams in four regencies of Central Java Province are still battling to extinguish forest and land fires (karhutla).

Head of the BNPB Data, Information and Communication Centre, Abdul Muhari, stated that the incidents occurred in the regencies of Klaten, Grobogan, Blora, and Wonogiri. Based on reports received by the BNPB Operations Control Directorate, the fire in Klaten occurred on Monday (27/7).

“The one-hectare fire in rice fields in Dukuh Srimulyo, Kaligawe Village, Pedan District, was allegedly triggered by uncontrolled waste burning by residents before it was eventually brought under control manually by the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and firefighters,” he said, as quoted on Tuesday (28/7).

Meanwhile, in Grobogan Regency, fires have been burning across 3.4 hectares of land in Prigi Village, Kedungjati District, and Kaliwenang Village, Tanggungharjo District. The BNPB noted that the fires in Blora and Wonogiri also involved agricultural land, with one hectare of sugarcane fields burned in each regency.

Abdul explained that the series of incidents highlights the need for local governments to maintain full preparedness to respond quickly to the vulnerability caused by low rainfall during the current dry season, which increases the potential for new hotspots to emerge.