Increasing From Last Year, 99 Fire Cases Occurred In Lebak In The Last 9 Months

Illustration of extinguishing forest and land fires or forest and land fires. (Between)

The fire in Lebak Regency reached 99 cases in the last nine months or since January 2023. From that number of cases, it was reported that one person died and the loss was estimated at IDR 4.6 billion. "We recorded that this year's fire increased compared to 2022 with 75 cases," said the Head of the Lebak Dartim Police and Fire Unit in Lebak, Banten, Monday, September 25, was confiscated by Antara. The increase in cases of fires in 2023 regarding the arrival of the long dry season as a result of the El Nino phenomenon. "The dry season is quite easy to provoke sparks that engulf densely populated residential housing, forest areas to factories and shops," he said.

Of the 99 cases of the fire, there were 32 houses, six Islamic boarding schools, 11 shops, two saung, two garden lands, three vehicles, three electric poles, 36 empty land and four factories. Meanwhile, 80 fire engines (Damkar) and 19 incidents were not overcome. "We worked hard to extinguish the fire by deploying seven firefighters with 26 personnel," said Dartim.

According to him, most of the causes of the fire were due to a short circuit in the electric current of 45 cases, eight gas cylinder explosions, 37 garbage burning cases, six cigarette butts and a furnace cooking three cases. The Lebak Regency Government has issued an early warning in connection with the long dry season which has the potential to increase fire cases. "We ask the public to prevent fires by checking power cables and not burning garbage and throwing cigarette butts carelessly," he explained.

Meanwhile, a number of residents of Komdik Rangkasbitung, Lebak Regency, appreciated the firefighters so quickly for handling fire in residential areas after receiving reports from the public. "The fire experience last week was quickly extinguished by firefighters so that it did not spread to densely populated settlements," said Sarman, a resident of Komdik Rangkasbitung, Lebak Regency.