South Bangka Besieged by Hotspots

Dozens of hotspots suspected to be forest and land fires (karhutla) are scattered across several regencies in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province (Babel). South Bangka has become the regency with the most detected hotspots. Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Bangka Belitung Province, Budi Utama, stated that based on information from the Pangkalpinang Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), there are currently 51 hotspots. He said 11 of these hotspots are located in Bangka, spread across the sub-districts of Bakam, Mendo Barat, Pemali and Puding. “Of these 51 hotspots, South Bangka has the most with 18, spread across the sub-districts of Air Gegas, Lepar, Payung, Toboali and Tukak Sadai,” Budi said on Sunday (14/6). He continued that for other regencies, Central Bangka has 12 hotspots spread across the sub-districts of Koba, Lubuk Besar, Simpang Katis and Sungai Selan. “West Bangka has 3 hotspots in Mentok and Simpang Teritip sub-districts, Belitung has 4 hotspots in Membalong sub-district, while East Belitung has 1 hotspot in Simpang Renggiang,” he stated. He explained that the accuracy level of these 51 hotspots is at levels 8 and 9, meaning they are already indicating the presence of forest and land fires. “It is indeed pointing towards karhutla, especially with an accuracy level of 9. We have instructed the local BPBD to go directly to the locations to monitor and simultaneously extinguish if it is a fire,” he revealed. He acknowledged that many hotspots are being monitored by satellite in several regencies in Babel due to the hot weather conditions and strong winds as the dry season sets in. “We continue to urge residents to remain alert and not to do various things that could cause karhutla, such as clearing gardens by burning land or discarding cigarette butts that still have embers,” Budi said.