The Kubu Raya Peat Forest Fire Extinguishing is Still Being Tried

PONTIANAK - The Forest and Land Fire Control Brigade (Dalkarhutla) of the Kubu Raya Forest Management Unit (KPH) is still struggling to put out forest and land fires (karhutla) in Rasau Jaya Umum Village, Kubu Raya Regency, which occurred in the peatland area.

"The characteristics of peat land are a major challenge because the fire not only burns the surface, but also spreads to the underground layer so that it takes longer to extinguish. The extinguishing process is quite difficult because the land is dominated by peat. We continue to work so that the fire does not spread to other areas," said Head of the Dalkarhutla Brigade Regu KPH Kubu Raya Region Florensius Loren in Sungai Raya, Monday.

He said the fire point was in the border area of Rasau Jaya Umum Village with Kuala Dua Village and until Sunday (19/7), the extinguishing process was still being carried out to prevent the fire from spreading.

Florensius revealed that officers also faced limitations on water sources which were quite far from the location of the fire so that personnel had to transport extinguishing equipment over a relatively long distance.

"The current field obstacle is a water source that is quite far away so it drains the energy of the personnel who carry the equipment to find it. In addition, the number of delivery hoses we have is still limited so that it has not been able to reach the fire points at the end," he said.

He added that the high intensity of the extinguishing operation also affected the condition of the equipment used. The pump engine that is operated continuously has begun to experience a decrease in performance due to the high operating hours during fire handling.

Florensius appealed to the public not to open land by burning because it has the potential to trigger fires that are difficult to control, especially in peat areas that are easily flammable during the dry season.

"Don't open land by burning. Fires in peatlands are very difficult to extinguish because the fire can spread to the ground. It's different from mineral land which is easier to handle," he said.

According to him, fires in peatlands generally only really go out after heavy rain. This condition also causes the smoke to last longer, potentially disrupting community activities and air quality.

Florensius hopes that the extinguishing efforts carried out together with various institutions, volunteers, and joint teams can immediately control the fire so that the impact on the environment, public health, and community activities can be minimized.