Land Fire Threatens Settlements, East Kalimantan Brimob Disaster Response Team Deployed
The Disaster Response Team of Battalion A Pioneer of the East Kalimantan Police Mobile Brigade (Satbrimob Polda Kaltim) was deployed on Monday (24/8) to move quickly to extinguish a land fire in the area of Jalan Kimia Gang Swadaya Number 447, Gunung Bahagia Urban Village, South Balikpapan District, Balikpapan City.
Dansat Brimob Polda Kaltim, Police Commissioner Ronny Suseno, said on Tuesday (25/8) that the fire had the potential to spread and threaten vegetation around the urban forest area as well as residential settlements. The fire was reported to have occurred at around 14.25 Central Indonesian Time.
Following up on the report, personnel from the Disaster Response Team of Battalion A Pioneer Satbrimob Polda Kaltim led by Brigadier Police Chief Zainal Arifin were immediately deployed to the location to carry out handling.
Upon arrival at the location, personnel immediately carried out firefighting efforts and localised the hotspots using available equipment.
“Personnel together with combined firefighting elements and the local community worked shoulder to shoulder to control the flames so they would not spread to residential areas or other areas,” he said.
He emphasised that the speed and readiness of personnel are part of Brimob’s commitment to providing protection to the community while safeguarding environmental sustainability.
“We also invite the entire community to increase environmental awareness by not discarding cigarette butts carelessly or clearing land by burning,” Ronny urged.
After going through an intensive firefighting process, Ronny revealed that the flames were finally brought under control and fully extinguished at around 16.35 Central Indonesian Time.
Personnel then carried out a cooling process to ensure there were no remaining embers or hotspots that could potentially reignite.
He said the handling activity took place involving coordination and cooperation between Brimob personnel, combined firefighting elements and the community.
This synergy became one of the important factors in accelerating the firefighting process while preventing the fire from spreading to more at-risk areas.
Ronny stated that Satbrimob Polda Kaltim appeals to the community to jointly protect the environment and increase vigilance against the potential for land fires, especially in dry vegetation conditions.
“Early prevention is considered the most effective step to minimise the impact of fires on the environment and public safety,” he concluded.