OKU BPBD Forms Rapid Reaction Team for Forest and Land Fire Mitigation

The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Regency, South Sumatra, has formed a Rapid Response Team (TRC) to tackle forest and land fire (karhutla) incidents in the local area.

The Head of BPBD OKU, Januar Efendi, stated in Baturaja on Friday that in facing this year’s prolonged dry season, the agency has formed the TRC to ensure that forest and land fires can be managed as early as possible.

He noted that the TRC, which is composed of members from BPBD OKU, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and other relevant local government agencies, consists of 300 personnel.

These hundreds of personnel will be deployed across 13 districts in the OKU Regency to remain on standby for early fire suppression. Priority monitoring will be given to five districts with the largest forest and land areas, namely the Lengkiti, Lubus Batang, Semidang Aji, Peninjauan, and Sinar Peninjauan districts.

The team, he added, is stationed to assist in fire suppression, rescue operations, and the evacuation of residents affected by haze disasters.

With the presence of the TRC within the community, it is hoped that haze disasters caused by forest and land fires in OKU Regency can be prevented.

In addition to forming the TRC, the agency has prepared various fire suppression equipment, including water pumps, hoses, chainsaws, fire-resistant clothing, oxygen, anti-pollution masks, and portable water tanks, as well as six water supply vehicles to combat fires in the regency.

BPBD OKU is also optimising the function of the Fire Care Community (Masyarakat Peduli Api), particularly in districts mapped as high-risk for fires during the prolonged dry season.

“Based on the Disaster Risk Assessment (KRB), 13 districts in OKU fall into the medium vulnerability category for forest and land fires. However, those five districts remain the priority for field team monitoring,” he said.