Fire Care Community, DLHK Babel Efforts to Prevent Forest Fires

BANGKA BELITUNG - The case of forest fires is still a challenge in environmental preservation in the Bangka Belitung province. The Babel Environment and Forestry Service (DLHK) has also intensified the Fire Care Society (MPA) to prevent damage from forest and land fires.

This program is strengthened as the dry season comes which is quite prone to triggering fires.

"We prioritize prevention in anticipating this year's forest fires," said Acting Head of the DLHK for the Bangka Belitung Islands Province, Amransyah Muslimin in Pangkalpinang, launching ANTARA, Sunday, June 7.

He said the Forest Fire Control Directorate (PKH) through the Forest Fire Control Center (Dalkarhut) for the Sumatra Region had formed seven Fire Care Society (MPA) teams to prevent and carry out early karhutla extinguishing in vulnerable areas in the Bangka Belitung Islands.

"This year's anticipation of forest fires is focused on preventing fires from the beginning, detecting them faster, and taking firm action against violations, so that forest and environmental damage and health disorders can be minimized," he said.

Although the Bangka Belitung Islands Province is not a province prone to forest fires, he said, the Babel Islands must still prepare preventive, preparedness, rapid response and collaboration measures.

"We are making MPA the front line at the village level to anticipate forest fires during this extreme dry season," he said.

The head of the Babel Islands BMKG, Eko Sulistyo Nugroho, estimated that the dry season in the Babel Islands would begin from June to September 2026 or longer and drier due to low rainfall due to the Godzilla natural phenomenon.

"The priority drought areas are concentrated in the western part of West Bangka, South Bangka, West Belitung, and East Belitung because they are expected to receive lower rainfall than the surrounding areas during the peak of the dry season this year," he said.