Jambi Task Force Optimises Aerial Firefighting to Tackle TNBS Forest Fires

Jambi City (ANTARA) - The Jambi Forest and Land Fire Task Force (Satgas Karhutla) is continuing to optimise aerial firefighting efforts through water bombing to address fires within the Berbak and Sembilang National Park (TNBS) area.

The Commander of the Jambi Fire Task Force, Brigadier General TNI Nyamin, stated in Jambi on Monday that fires are still occurring within the national park area.

So far, the authorities are still relying on aerial firefighting, although its level of effectiveness remains limited.

“The fires in the national park, in both the Berbak and Sembilang regions, have not yet been extinguished. We can only extinguish them through water bombing; although it is actually less effective, at the very least, it can reduce or slow the spread of the fire,” he said.

However, these efforts face obstacles due to the topography of the deep peatland within the national park area. Because of these conditions, heavy machinery and firefighting equipment are finding it difficult to penetrate the area.

Nyamin confirmed that water sources around the TNBS area are still sufficient, but the primary challenge remains the difficulty of accessing the water locations.

According to the latest data from the Jambi Fire Task Force on Monday, the total area burned in Jambi Province is approximately 3,700 hectares.

“The obstacle is that the peat is deep, making it difficult for equipment to enter. If we move in directly, the machinery could sink. We are continuing our efforts (to extinguish the fires),” he said.