Ministry of Forestry focuses on wetting peatland in Ring 1 of Syamsudin Noor Airport, South Kalimantan

We are working to turn the soil into mud so that no more embers rise from below.

Banjarbaru (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) team is currently focusing on wetting burnt peatland in South Kalimantan (Kalsel), with the priority location being Ring 1 of Syamsudin Noor International Airport in Banjarbaru.

“This wetting is to ensure that the underground embers are truly extinguished,” said Dian Cahyo Buwono from the Forest Area Consolidation Centre (BPKH) when met at the forest and land fire (karhutla) location in Tegal Arum, Banjarbaru, on Tuesday.

He explained that the fire burning the land in the area had already spread and travelled underground, so firefighting efforts from the surface alone were not enough. Instead, thorough wetting had to be carried out, including on areas of land that appeared unburnt.

To support the wetting efforts, he said, officers were spraying water into the ground to a depth of up to two metres.

According to Dian, the depth of water penetration depended on the strength of the pump machines.

“We are working to turn the soil into mud so that no more embers rise from below,” he added.

The joint Ministry of Forestry team, including the Forest Area Consolidation Centre (BPKH), the Natural Resources Conservation Centre (BKSDA), the Sustainable Forest Management Centre (BPHL) and Manggala Agni, assisted by the Fire Care Community (MPA), continues to fight to suppress the land fires.