Karhutla In Situbondo Burns 5 Hectares Of Jati Forest

SITUBONDO - The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Situbondo Regency, East Java, said that forest and land fires (karhutla) occurred at two points and burned a teak forest covering an area of about 5 hectares.

Head of BPBD Situbondo Sruwi Hartanto said the first teak forest fire occurred in Petak 35 e, Block Pemandian, RPH Bungatan, Pasir Putih Village, Bungatan District.

"The teak forest in Pandan Sari Hamlet occurred at around 12.00 WIB in the afternoon, then a joint team from related agencies extinguished it directly to the hotspots using fire dividers and tree branches so that the fire did not spread to other areas," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, August 8.

Not long after, he continued, a fire engine (Damkar) also arrived at the location and extinguished it by spraying wetting at the location of the fire.

"Alhamdulillah, at around 14.15 WIB the fire was successfully extinguished, and there were no injuries and lives in the incident because the location of the fire was far from residential areas," he said.

At around 15.00 WIB, he said, the teak forest fire broke out again in Petak 36, Brimob Block, Bungatan RPH, Kembangsambi Hamlet, Pasir Putih Village, Bungatan District.

Joint officers went to the location of the fire and extinguished the fire using a kepyok and also assisted by fire engines.

"At 16.20 WIB, forest fires were also successfully extinguished. The cause of the teak forest fires at the two points is still unknown, and Perhutani officers are still investigating," said Sruwi Hartanto.