Musi Banyuasin, KOTABARI.COM – The forest and land fire (Karhutla) case in the Bayung Lencir area, Musi Banyuasin (Muba) Regency, continues to expand. The latest data from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Muba shows that the burned area has dramatically increased from 15 hectares to 46 hectares as of Sunday (21/7).
Chief of BPBD Muba, Pathi Riduan, revealed that the fire has been ongoing since Friday (19/7) and has continued to spread due to the thick peat soil in the area. “As of now, the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. The burned land in Medak Village is privately owned by residents, with vegetation consisting of shrubs, ferns, gelam, and oil palm plants. The fire is currently extinguished,” explained Pathi on Monday (22/7/2024).
Although the fire has been put out, joint teams continue with extinguishing and cooling efforts using mechanical pumps. This operation involves various parties, including personnel from the TNI, Polri, BPBD, Manggala Agni, the sub-district, RPK PT TPJ, KPH Lalan Mendis, KMPA Bromo Sakti, and KMPA Sinar Medak. “The team relies on canal water sources, and firebreak construction is 100 percent complete to prevent the fire from spreading to other areas,” he added.
Pathi also mentioned that 65 water bombings have been conducted using two helicopters from Sinarmas. On the ground, five transport vehicles, 20 motorcycles, eight excavators, and fire pump machines have been deployed to extinguish the fire. However, the remote and challenging terrain poses a significant obstacle. “The location is quite far, and motorcycles find it difficult to access, so some personnel have to walk,” he stated.
Pathi explained that the Muba region is highly susceptible to Karhutla during the dry season due to the continuous emergence of hotspots, consistent with BMKG forecasts predicting the dry season from late July to August. “We urge all parties not to clear land by burning as it can cause Karhutla. We also continuously remind the community not to discard cigarette butts carelessly, as sparks can easily ignite fires,” he urged.