Guntur Garut Forest Fire Successfully Extinguished

Officers tried to extinguish the blaze that burned the forest area on Mount Guntur, Garut Regency, West Java, Thursday (7/9/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Tarogong Kaler Police)

Garut Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) said that the forest fire incident on Mount Guntur, Tarogong Kaler District, Garut Regency, West Java, was successfully extinguished.

"It was extinguished last night at around 22.00 WIB. We have also investigated," said Head of the Natural Resources Conservation Section of Garut V, Dodi Arisandi, as reported by ANTARA, Friday, September 8.

He said forest fires on Mount Guntur were known Thursday (7/9) afternoon, then a number of officers from related agencies and volunteers tried to extinguish the blaze until it was finally extinguished Thursday towards midnight.

The results of a temporary calculation of the area of burned forest land, he said, were around 59.24 hectares with a type of burnt plant, namely logs, yusdra, and several pine trees.

"The calculation is confirmed within the area, which we are in the area, the following is not outside the area," he said.

He conveyed that the forest fire was far from residential areas of residents' houses, and not on the mountain climbing route.

The fire, he said, had occurred several times, and this fire was considered bigger than before.

"This is the first big event, it has also happened before, but it is relatively small," he said.

Forest fires in the dry season have been anticipated by increasing awareness and preparedness of joint officers and also deploying communities from the Fire Care Community (MPA).

A number of extinguishing equipment, he said, had been prepared, such as other fire extinguisher jets to facilitate the process of extinguishing fires in forest areas.

"We use jet shooters and other fire extinguishers," he said.

The Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Garut Regencymensian Anwar Saefuloh added that the fire conditions in the forest were monitored to be under control and did not continue to spread.

Even so, he said, his staff together with other volunteers were still on standby to monitor the burning forest area, if there was another fire, officers were ready to extinguish it.

"The fire has decreased, we continue to monitor it there, we see further developments, we will also coordinate with the Damkar to'standby' there," saidtip.