Arya News - The largest wildfire was reported in Buleleng regency in Bali, where flames swept through 48 hectares of dry grassland in the hills of Pemuteran village. About half of the burned area is part of a protected forest.
JAKARTA – Forest fires have broken out across several parts of Indonesia as the country enters the dry season, with some blazes burning for more than two weeks and blanketing nearby communities in choking haze.
The largest wildfire was reported in Buleleng regency in Bali, where flames swept through 48 hectares of dry grassland in the hills of Pemuteran village. About half of the burned area is part of a protected forest.
Buleleng Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Gede Suyasa said the fire broke out on Friday and was brought under control only on Sunday.
“Firefighting efforts were hampered by the steep and rugged terrain. At night, crews were unable to approach the fire because the conditions were too dangerous,” Suyasa said on Monday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
He said the hilly landscape forced firefighters to rely on manual suppression methods, as fire trucks and heavy equipment could not reach the site.
“Authorities continue to monitor the area for lingering hot spots to ensure the fire does not reignite,” Suyasa said.
In Kotawaringin Timur regency, Central Kalimantan, a forest and peatland fire has been burning for 17 days in Eka Bahurui village, sending thick smoke over the surrounding area and blanketing the village in haze.
Acting head of Kotawaringin Timur BPBD, Multazam, said the fire continues to smolder beneath the peat soil despite repeated ground firefighting efforts and water bombing operations.
He added that the lack of nearby water sources remains the biggest challenge to firefighting efforts, complicating attempts to fully extinguish the blaze.
“Our focus has now shifted from extinguishing the fire to cutting off its path of spread to prevent it from expanding into nearby forests and local farms,” he said.
Multazam said containing the fire’s spread was the most practical strategy because extinguishing the entire burned area at once was not possible. He said underground hot spots beneath the peatland were continuing to move toward nearby Pembuang Makmur village and Poros.
In Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, haze from ongoing wildfires has blanketed the city for days, reducing visibility for motorists to as little as 20 meters.
Ansar, a resident of Banjarmasin who commutes daily to Banjarbaru for work, said he had been forced to drive more slowly than usual due to concerns over road safety.
“The smoke haze has significantly reduced my visibility, so I have had to slow down while driving,” Ansar said on Monday.
In Central Java, a wildfire broke out in Gunung Gajah village, Klaten regency, on Monday after flames from a land-clearing operation spread out of control, scorching 3.5 ha of land. The blaze began at around 11:30 a.m. and was brought under control within a few hours by firefighters, preventing it from spreading further.
Meanwhile, in South Kalimantan, forest and land fires erupted in two separate regencies on Monday, burning a combined 7.4 ha. Firefighters contained and extinguished both blazes later the same day.
In Aceh, a wildfire broke out in Central Aceh regency on Sunday, scorching about 1 ha of land. Firefighters swiftly contained the blaze and extinguished it in less than 30 minutes, preventing it from spreading to surrounding areas.
According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), about 60 percent of the country has entered the dry season. The agency expects the season to reach its peak between July and September, with below-average rainfall predicted across more than 80 percent of the archipelago.
The BMKG has warned that this year’s dry season could be more severe due to the influence of El Niño, increasing the risk of prolonged drought and forest and land fires.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Abdul Muhari has urged regional governments to intensify integrated patrols in fire-prone areas, strengthen early detection of hot spots, and ensure the readiness of personnel and firefighting equipment so blazes can be quickly contained before spreading.
“Communities are also urged not to clear land by burning and not to start fires in forests or other areas vulnerable to fire,” Muhari said on Tuesday.
He also called on residents to immediately report any signs of fire to local authorities to enable a swift firefighting response.