20 Hectares Of Forest Areas In Kersik Luway Forest Reserve Area, East Kalimantan Burned

Illustration of forest fires (ANTARA)

Forest and land fires (karhutla) continue to occur in the East Kalimantan region. This time, the flames devoured more than 20 hectares of forest and land in the Kersik Luway Nature Reserve area, in West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, Thursday, October 19 evening.

The strong gusts of wind also made the flames now lead to a rare black orchid plant conservation area.

The fire first appeared since 16.00 WITA and immediately grew and spread.

Dozens of joint officers from BPBD West Kutai, Manggala Agni, and the surrounding community continue to fight against the flames so that it does not spread further.

One of the Karhutla Manggala officers, Agni Kutai Barat, Rusli, said the forest and land fires had occurred since 16.00 WITA, and continued until the evening. The location of the burning forest and land has now entered the Kersik Luway Nature Reserve area.

Officers had to work extra to fight the blaze, to prevent the fire from spreading to the rare and protected area of the Black Orchid Conservation area.

"If the calculation was only one kilometer away to the Black Orchid Conservation," he added.

Officers estimate that the area of the burning Kersik Luway forest and Nature Reserve area has reached more than 20 hectares.

"We have extinguished almost half of them. If it is estimated that nearly 20 hectares have been burned," he concluded.

Meanwhile, regarding the cause of the fire, until now it is still under police investigation.