Gunung Lawu Forest Firefighters With Water Bombing Are Constrained By Weather

The "water bombing" helicopter that carried out the effort to extinguish the forest and land fires on Mount Lawu on Tuesday (3/10/2023). BETWEEN ANTARA/Louis Rika

NGAWI - Efforts to extinguish forest and land fires (karhutla) on Mount Lawu using the water bombing method carried out by officers were hampered by local weather conditions.

Ngawi Police Chief AKBP Argowiyono said the blackout of forest and land fires on the mountain was 3265 meters high with the water bombing method which was carried out on Tuesday afternoon could only be three times, because the weather conditions were very windy and the location was getting dark.

"Earlier, the water bombing could only be a few times, because the weather was not supportive and it was getting dark. As planned, tomorrow it will be done again," said Argo, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, October 3.

According to him, the water bombing attempt will continue tomorrow and sterilize residents who see at the location of the water collection at one of the swimming pools of tourist attractions in Ngawi.

"As a result of today's evaluation, many residents want to see the water collection process so that it interferes with the concentration of pilots. Only interested parties can enter the location tomorrow," he said.

In addition to extinguishing through air methods, efforts by land routes by sweeping officers at the location of the fire are also still being carried out.

Joint officers from BNPB, BPBD East Java Province, Ngawi BPBD, Magetan BPBD, Central Java BPBD, TNI, Polri, Polhut, BKSDA, Ngawi Damkar, Perhutani KPH Ngawi, volunteers, and the community remain involved.

With these efforts, his party hopes that forest and land fires on Mount Lawu can be resolved immediately.

Forest and land fires have occurred on the slopes of Mount Lawu since September 29, 2023. As of Tuesday, October 3, evening, a number of hotspots were still visible and could not be extinguished.