Pemuteran Village Forest in Buleleng Ablaze Since Friday, Flames Still Raging

A fire has been raging in the Pemuteran Village Forest area, Gerokgak District, Buleleng Regency, since Friday (17/7/2026). The blaze had yet to be extinguished as of Saturday (18/7/2026) afternoon. Steep, hard-to-reach terrain and dry vegetation have caused the flames to continue spreading across the hilly area. Buleleng Regency BPBD Chief Executive I Gede Suyasa said the fire was first reported at 9.00 p.m. local time. The flames burned expanses of dry grass at several points in the hills and were clearly visible from the Bukit Kursi area, approximately two kilometres away. “The fire moved quite quickly due to the dry grass conditions and the influence of the wind. The fire location is also in terrain that is difficult to access,” Suyasa said on Saturday. Following the report, personnel from TRC Team I of the Buleleng BPBD, together with the Bali Provincial BPBD, departed for the location at around 9.30 p.m. local time and arrived at 11.00 p.m. to conduct an initial assessment. However, extinguishing efforts could not be carried out due to the darkness and dangerous terrain. The next day, firefighting operations were continued by TRC Team II of the Buleleng Regency BPBD along with the Bali Provincial BPBD and a joint team comprising the Buleleng Police, Forestry Police, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the Gerokgak District Government, the Pemuteran Village Government, the Gerokgak District Civil Service Police Unit, the Village Forest Management Institution, and other relevant parties. Suyasa explained that the firefighting was being done manually because vehicles and firefighting equipment could not reach the fire spots. “Personnel are carrying water bags and using tree branches to beat the flames. The team has also been divided into two squads so that firefighting can be carried out from several sides simultaneously to curb the spread of the fire,” he said. As of 3.00 p.m. local time, the fire was still burning and spreading through the dry vegetation in the hilly area. All joint personnel remain on site to fight the fire and prevent it from spreading to other areas. Suyasa stressed that personnel safety remains the top priority during the operation given the extreme terrain conditions. “Currently, TRC Team II personnel from the Buleleng BPBD and the Bali Provincial BPBD are still on site to carry out maximum firefighting efforts. Further developments will be reported according to conditions on the ground,” he concluded.