Joint Task Force Successfully Extinguishes Forest and Land Fire in West Bangka
A joint task force in West Bangka Regency, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, has successfully extinguished a forest and land fire that occurred in the Sungaidaeng Village, Mentok.
“This rapid response was successful thanks to excellent cooperation between the community, personnel from the West Bangka Police, and officers from the local Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD),” said Iptu Yos Sudante, Head of Public Relations for the West Bangka Police, in Mentok on Wednesday.
He stated that the handling of the forest and land fire, which broke out in the afternoon, was carried out swiftly, with the flames being extinguished within approximately one hour.
“The incident was first reported by residents via the 110 emergency service at around 3:15 PM WIB. Following this, we coordinated with relevant agencies and moved to the location to carry out firefighting operations,” he said.
He explained that personnel from the West Bangka Police’s SPKT, Samapta, and functional units, alongside the West Bangka Regency BPBD, the West Bangka Regency Fire Department, and local residents, conducted an integrated firefighting effort. The fire was successfully extinguished at approximately 4:15 PM WIB, preventing it from spreading to other areas that could have caused greater losses.
“Preliminary investigations suggest the source of the fire was waste burning activities by residents, which subsequently spread to dry land in the vicinity,” he added.
The Chief of West Bangka Police, AKBP Pradana Aditya Nugraha, urged the public to refrain from clearing land or burning waste indiscriminately, particularly during hot weather and dry conditions, as these pose significant fire risks.
“We have also instructed all Bhabinkamtibmas personnel to increase monitoring of fire-prone areas, perform early detection of hotspots, and implement mitigation measures to prevent forest and land fires,” he said. He further noted that active community participation is essential for prevention and response, specifically by reporting any hotspots or potential fire risks through the 110 emergency service.