Increasingly Dry: Dozens of Forest and Land Fires Occur in Majalengka
Dozens of forest and land fire (karhutla) incidents have occurred in Majallagka Regency. The public is urged to increase vigilance.
“Dozens of forest and land fires have occurred in Majalengka Regency. From January 2026 to 24 August 2026, there have been 49 incidents of forest and land fires in Majalengka Regency,” stated the Head of the Majalengka Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Agus Tamim, on Sunday (30/8).
Most recently, a forest and land fire occurred in the Cirahayu Block, Baribis Village, Cigasong District, Majalengka, on Friday (28/8) at approximately 17:40 WIB.
Agus requested the community to heighten their alertness during this dry season, particularly as the region is entering the peak of the dry season, which is predicted to last until October 2026.
“With the weather becoming increasingly dry, even a small fire can trigger forest and land fires,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Wawan Suryawan, a Disaster Management Expert in Emergency and Logistics at the Majalengka Regency BPBD, explained that his agency received reports of the land fire on Friday (28/8) at approximately 17:40 WIB in the Cirahayu Block, Baribis Village, Cigasong District.
“Our officers, assisted by other relevant agencies, immediately rushed to the scene,” he said.
The fire was extinguished at around 19:45 WIB. However, officers continued the cooling process to ensure no embers remained that could cause a re-ignition.
“The burnt area reached approximately 3.5 hectares. There were no casualties resulting from the fire. The cause of the fire is estimated to be human error,” he added.
Drought Alert
Previously, the Ciayumajankuning region—comprising Cirebon, Indramayu, Majalengka, and Kuningan—was placed under a ‘Drought Alert’ status by the Bogor Climatology Station of the BMKG. This condition is in effect from 21 August to 31 August 2026.
“The ‘Alert’ status in BMKG’s meteorological drought information means the Ciayumajakuning region is experiencing indications of serious drought,” said the Head of the Kertajati Meteorological Station, BMKG, Muhammad Syifaul Fuad.
This condition is due to the number of rainless days recorded at the Kertajati and Jatiwangi Meteorological Stations reaching more than 50 days.
“However, this does not mean the entire population in the Ciayumajakuning region will definitely experience a water crisis. Rather, the risk of impact is high and requires anticipatory action,” he added.