Patrols Intensified in South Kalimantan's Sultan Adam Forest Park Amid Fire Risk

The South Kalimantan Provincial Forestry Service is intensifying patrols in the Sultan Adam Grand Forest Park (Tahura) to anticipate the threat of forest and land fires (karhutla) as the peak of the dry season approaches.

‘Entering the current peak of the dry season, we are taking anticipatory steps, including intensifying patrols in fire-prone areas such as the Tahura Sultan Adam area in Banjar Regency,’ said Head of the South Kalimantan Forestry Service, Fatimatuzahra, on Wednesday (8/7).

During every dry season, the 112,000-hectare Tahura Sultan Adam area frequently experiences fires, whether caused by deliberate actions or natural factors due to extreme hot weather. She added that besides Tahura Sultan Adam, patrols are also being conducted in other fire-prone forest and land areas through coordination with Manggala Agni, provincial and district/city BPBD to strengthen early detection of hotspots so that handling can be carried out from the outset before it spreads.

Another priority location for forest and land fire monitoring is the Handil Maluka Peat Hydrology Area (KHG), which is situated in the area around ring one of Syamsudin Noor Airport, Banjarbaru. ‘We are also mapping water pocket locations that can be utilised to support firefighting, including the need for water collection for water bombing helicopters if required,’ she said.

In the Tahura Sultan Adam area, monitoring is also being tightened through outreach to the general public, community fire awareness groups (MPA), and tourism operators. This includes the construction of monitoring towers, the addition of water tanks, and the creation of firebreaks in the Mandiangin and Bukit Batu tourist areas.

‘We remain on full alert even though, as of now, fire incidents in July have not been too large. Prevention remains the top priority so that forest and land fires do not occur,’ Fatimatuzahra stressed, after reviewing an exhibition on infrastructure readiness and innovations in forest and land fire handling carried out by the private sector, plantation companies, and forest area management permit holders.

Media monitoring indicates that forest and land fires have begun to flare up in a number of areas in South Kalimantan, such as Tapin Regency, South Hulu Sungai, Tanah Laut, and Banjarbaru City. On Wednesday (8/7) afternoon towards evening, a fairly extensive land fire struck a scrubland area in Liang Anggang District, Banjarbaru City. Dozens of BPBD and Manggala Agni personnel were deployed to extinguish the fire.