South Kalimantan Disaster Management Agency Implements New SOP to Accelerate Forest and Land Fire Response
The South Kalimantan Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has implemented a new standard operating procedure (SOP) to accelerate the transition from ground task forces to aerial task forces when hotspots are difficult to reach, aiming to prevent the expansion of forest and land fires (karhutla).
The Head of BPBD South Kalimantan, Ronny Eka Saputra, stated in Banjarbaru on Saturday that the SOP dictates that ground task forces will no longer attempt to force suppression when hotspots are deemed inaccessible based on field assessments and when initial efforts prove ineffective.
“Once the ground task force has utilised a maximum of three hose connections but the fire hotspot still cannot be effectively reached, handling is immediately transferred to the aerial task force using helicopters to perform water bombing to prevent the fire from spreading,” he said.
According to him, this mechanism was designed to suit the specific characteristics of the South Kalimantan region and differs from handling patterns in other areas, prioritising rapid decision-making over forcing ground operations to the limits of personnel capability.
In addition to limited access, he noted that priority areas in the southern part of Banjarbaru currently lack canalisation to regulate water flow, causing vegetation to dry out more quickly, particularly during the morning and evening, making the area highly prone to forest and land fires.
To support this new SOP, BPBD South Kalimantan has deployed assistance from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) consisting of two water bombing helicopters, one patrol helicopter, and one Weather Modification Operation (OMC) aircraft, which can also be used for patrolling.
He added that the support from the aerial fleet has helped reduce the total area of burnt land. However, water bombing helicopter operations can only be conducted until approximately 18:00 WITA, meaning nighttime control efforts are focused on preventing fires from spreading to residential areas.