One Person Dies Surrounded By Smoke While Burning His Own Land In Ketapang

The Governor of West Kalimantan, Ria Norsan, expressed his deep condolences for the death of a resident in Tempurakan Village, Muara Pawan District, Ketapang Regency, due to forest and land fires (karhutla).

"The incident was discovered on Monday (28/7) and I need to clarify that the victim was not a firefighter, but a resident who personally burned his own land," said Ria Norsan in Pontianak, Friday, August 1.

Norsan explained, based on the chronology he got, the person concerned burned his own field without the knowledge of the officers. He was surrounded by smoke and was found dead.

"So it's not because it's putting out the fire, but because of his own actions," he said.

He asked all media to be careful in conveying information to the public and avoiding misleading narratives.

Based on chronological information from officers in the field, at around 16.50 WIB, members of the forest and land fires monitoring team received reports that the victim's wife was seen running towards the fire area for fear that her husband was still in their garden which was being opened by burning.

The team then found the victim in a prone position and immediately contacted the police and prepared an ambulance for the evacuation process. At 17.17 WIB, the victim was successfully evacuated and taken to dr. Agoesdjam Ketapang Hospital for further investigation.

Previously, at around 12.00 pm, the victim had contacted his wife and conveyed his tired body condition.

Responding to the incident, the Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK), Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, emphasized that his party would encourage law enforcement officials to follow up on land fires criminally, especially if the fire area was significant.

"With a fire area of 149 hectares, this must be investigated seriously. We will also coordinate with the Governor and the West Kalimantan Police Chief to ensure that law enforcement measures run optimally," said Hanif.

He also reminded the public not to burn land, although on a small scale, especially during the peak of the dry season which is expected to last until the end of September 2025.

"Normatively, Law Number 32 of 2009 does provide a limited combustion space of up to two hectares, but in emergency situations such as the dry season, these rules do not apply. Regional regulations cannot rule out national laws," he said.

Hanif stated that the Ministry of Environment and Forestry would take firm action against all forms of violations, including those committed by the community, as part of efforts to prevent a greater ecological disaster.

Karhutla in West Kalimantan is currently a serious concern of the central and regional governments. In addition to causing ecosystem damage, this incident also has a high risk of the safety of people's lives and personnel in the field.