The Cause Of Argopuro's Forest And Forestry Is Suspected To Be Due To Natural Factors

Jember Regent Hendy Siswanto said the cause of forest and land fires (karhutla) on the slopes of the Argopuro Mountains was suspected to be due to natural factors due to the peak of El Nino.

"Based on a report from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) that the source of the fire was due to natural factors. Types of tilapia in the area when friction occurs can cause sparks. That's the initial analysis," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, October 6.

According to him, the types of plants at Perhutani border locations with the Natural Resources Conservation Sector (BKSDA) are in the form of plants with small cypress trees and bushes, making them flammable.

"On Thursday (5/10) night it was a bit extinguished due to drizzling rain but the information this morning grew again because of the wind and dry weather conditions," he said.

He explained that the distance between forest and land fires and settlements was very far, but officers continued to monitor the Badean Village Command Post, Bangsalsari District to monitor the movement of hotspots through applications and remote observations.

"We ask for observations from Badean Village to continue to monitor conditions in the field and based on information from residents that the same hotspots had occurred about 5 years ago during 3 days during the long dry season," he said.

Hendy hopes that heavy rains will soon fall so that forest and land fires on the slopes of the Argopuro Mountains in Jember Regency can be extinguished immediately and do not spread to the BKSDA area.

Meanwhile, Head of BPBD Jember Widodo Julianto said forest and land fires had not been extinguished on the slopes of the Argopuro Mountains, but officers encountered problems with handling hotspots in the BKSDA protected forest area.

"The access to the location of the hotspots is very far and steep because the terrain to get there is very difficult to reach, so his party together with a number of parties only carry out monitoring from the Badean Post," he said.

BPBD together with a number of parties made observations to monitor the spread of hotspots because they are very far away, safe from settlements and the terrain is quite heavy to go to the forest and land fires location.