Pine Forest Fire in Kebumen Extinguished After 10-Hour Battle
A forest fire in the pine plantation of Blok Pencil, located in Sadang District, Kebumen Regency, Central Java, was fully extinguished after a 10-hour firefighting operation on Saturday (25/7). The blaze was first reported by local residents at approximately 1.30 p.m. Western Indonesia Time.
Responding to the report, Kebumen Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner I Putu Bagus Krisna Purnama stated that police personnel, alongside Forestry Police (Polhut) officers and local residents, were immediately deployed to the scene. “Upon receiving the report, duty personnel together with Polhut and residents rushed to the location. Thanks to the synergy of all parties, the fire was finally extinguished around 11.30 p.m.,” he said on Sunday (26/7).
Firefighting efforts commenced at 2.00 p.m., but the operation faced significant challenges. After initially being brought under control, the fire flared up again at 7.30 p.m. due to residual hotspots in an area with extremely steep terrain, making it difficult for personnel to access manually.
The Kebumen Police deployed several personnel for the operation, including Head of General Affairs Aiptu Triyanto, Head of Samapta Unit Aipda Subagiyono, and KSPKT III Aipda Fauzi A. They collaborated with officials from the state forestry company Perhutani, including Head of RPH Karangsambung Suntoko and Head of RPH Sadang Kisno, along with their members and the local community.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire. Perhutani has yet to detail the material losses incurred, as the data collection process was hampered by difficult access to the site and the darkness following the extinguishing operation. “There were no casualties in this incident. We are still waiting for the results of further data collection regarding material losses,” the Police Chief added.
Following the extinguishing operation, the police are coordinating with the Forestry Police and the Seboro Village Government to conduct intensive monitoring of the area. This precautionary measure is being taken to ensure no new hotspots emerge that could potentially trigger subsequent fires in the region.