Land Fires Threaten Karangasem During Dry Season, Residents Urged to Stay Vigilant

Land fires are threatening the Karangasem region during the dry season, especially in the Kubu sub-district. Residents who own dry land are urged to remain constantly vigilant against this threat.

The Head of the Karangasem Fire and Rescue Department (Damkartan), Artha Negara, stated that land fires occur almost every year in the Kubu sub-district and surrounding areas. Throughout 2025, there have been 33 land fire incidents handled by Damkartan personnel in Karangasem.

“Every time the dry season arrives, we are kept busy handling land fires. In fact, there are almost daily reports from the public,” said Artha Negara on Sunday (19/4/2026).

The Karangasem Damkartan Department will soon coordinate with several parties, such as the Karangasem Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), military, police, sub-district heads, and village heads, regarding the frequent land fires during the dry season. The coordination aims to identify various matters that need to be anticipated and to provide warnings to owners of dry land.

Regarding handling procedures, Artha Negara explained that they are more or less the same as in previous years. As soon as reports come in from the public, personnel will head directly to the incident site. After the handling is complete, the fire trucks and personnel will remain on standby in the vicinity to anticipate any recurrence of land fires around the Kubu sub-district.

“Because the distance from the Fire Station to the Kubu sub-district is quite far, we have instructed personnel to stay on standby first. They only return to the station when night falls,” said Artha Negara.

Artha Negara hopes that residents who own dry land will always stay vigilant during the dry season. Residents are also asked to avoid burning rubbish or similar items. Such actions can trigger more widespread fires, especially when the wind is blowing strongly.

“We hope that land fires this year will decrease compared to the previous year. We will also continue to conduct outreach to the public for prevention,” said Artha Negara.