Land Fires Scorch 2,500 Square Metres in Tasikmalaya Amid Dry Season

The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and Fire Department of Tasikmalaya City responded to land fires at two strategic locations on Thursday (23/7/2026), as the region remains under a drought emergency alert. The fires occurred on Jalan Letnan Harun in Bungursari District and in the KHZ Mustofa area of Cihideung District.

Officers deployed three fire engines to contain the blaze, which scorched approximately 600 square metres of land. The Head of the Tasikmalaya City BPBD, Budi Martanova, confirmed that the prolonged dry season has increased the vulnerability of dry land in the area. “We received reports from residents about the fire suddenly growing. Our personnel immediately moved to the location to extinguish the flames at several points simultaneously,” Budi stated.

He explained that firefighters had to race against time to prevent the flames from spreading to productive land, particularly the secondary crops belonging to local residents near the site. Once the fire was brought under control, officers conducted a cooling process to ensure no embers remained beneath the surface of the dry land.

As a long-term anticipatory measure during the dry season, the BPBD and Fire Department are maintaining routine coordination, including ensuring the water supply in fire engine tanks. “This preparation is made so that officers can move quickly to the scene, as the threat of fire does not only target vacant land but also residential areas,” he added. Budi also stressed the importance of personnel safety by mandating the use of complete Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when operating in difficult terrain.

Based on received reports, the total land affected by fires at various points in Tasikmalaya City has now reached approximately 2 hectares. Affected areas include Tamanjaya Village (Tamansari District), Cikalang Village (Tawang District), Sukamulya and Cibunigeulis Villages (Bungursari District), Indihiang District, and Tuguraja and Tugujaya Villages (Cihideung District). The BPBD has urged the public not to carelessly discard cigarette butts or burn rubbish without supervision in dry land areas to prevent wider fires during the peak of the dry season.