South Kalimantan Forestry Service Deploys Personnel to Prevent Forest Fires from Spreading to Liang Anggang Protected Forest
The Forestry Service of South Kalimantan Province has deployed personnel from the Forest and Land Fire Control Brigade (Brigdalkarhutla) to prevent forest and land fires (karhutla) from spreading into the Liang Anggang Protected Forest area in Banjarbaru City.
Head of the South Kalimantan Forestry Service, Fathimatuzzahra, stated that prevention efforts are being carried out intensively through firefighting in border areas, damping down of land, patrols, and regular sweeping of the area.
“We continue to ensure personnel readiness to respond to every report of forest and land fires, especially in locations directly bordering protected forest and with the potential to cause fire to spread into the area,” said Fathimatuzzahra in Banjarbaru on Thursday (20/8).
Fathimatuzzahra explained that the duties of Brigdalkarhutla personnel are not limited to extinguishing blazing fires. The team also focuses on ensuring that embers beneath the ground surface are completely extinguished through repeated damping down. This measure also aims to reduce the impact of smoke on surrounding communities.
One of the critical points receiving serious attention is on the boundary of the Liang Anggang Protected Forest, Liang Anggang District. At this location, personnel conduct daily sweeps to ensure that fire does not penetrate into the protected forest area.
In addition, the handling of forest and land fires at vulnerable points such as Jalan Makmur and Jalan Kurnia is carried out in an integrated manner by a joint team from various relevant agencies.
In its operations, the team is equipped with adequate facilities and infrastructure, ranging from various types of water pump machines, tanker trucks, to large-capacity water transport vehicles to ensure the availability of water supply at fire locations.
Fathimatuzzahra acknowledged that peatland conditions pose the greatest challenge for officers in the field. Fires that appear to have been extinguished on the surface often continue to burn underground and have the potential to re-emerge.
“Personnel must carry out repeated damping down and sweeping amid hot weather, billowing smoke, and difficult terrain,” she added.
Currently, the Brigdalkarhutla Command Post in Banjarbaru routinely conducts patrols with a daily range of up to 15 kilometres. This early detection measure is focused on the Liang Anggang Protected Forest area so that every potential hotspot can be dealt with immediately before it grows larger.
At the grassroots level, forest and land fire control also involves Fire Care Communities (MPA) as the front line in preventing and handling fires in their respective areas.