Serang Firefighters Receive Daily Land Fire Reports During Dry Season

The Serang City Fire and Rescue Service (Damkar) has recorded land fire reports every day over the past week. According to the fire brigade, hot weather and strong winds have made dry vegetation extremely easy to ignite.

The latest land fire occurred on Wednesday (29 July) at around 20:00 local time in the BMS Housing Estate area of Serang City. Two fire engines were deployed, and the blaze was extinguished by around 21:00.

Asep Setiawan, Head of Operations at the Serang City Fire Brigade, confirmed there were no casualties in the incident. The fire is suspected to have been triggered by friction between tree branches dried out by the hot weather.

“The exact cause of the fire is not yet known. However, it is possibly due to this hot weather, with many branches rubbing against each other and generating flames,” Asep said.

According to Asep, his team receives fire reports almost every day, particularly in areas of cogon grass. The highest number of reports came on Saturday (23 July), with 12 incidents recorded.

“Almost every day there is a report, on average involving cogon grass fires. There have also been several rubbish fires,” he said.

In response to the situation, Serang Mayor Budi Rustandi has issued a circular to neighbourhood and district heads urging residents to work together to protect their environment.

“We have issued an appeal to the public signed directly by the Mayor, asking people to be more vigilant in protecting their environment amid this extreme weather,” Asep explained.

“To the public, please look after your surroundings. Do not burn rubbish carelessly, do not discard cigarette ends carelessly, and if you light a fire, make sure it is never left unattended,” he said.