BMKG Detects 31 Hot Spots Spread across East Kalimantan

Archives - Joint officers are extinguishing forest and land fires in Lawe-Lawe Village, North Penajam Paser Regency (PPU), East Kalimantan, on July 21, 2023 (Antara/HO Pusdalops BPBD PPU Regency)

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), through its station in Balikpapan, detected 31 hot spots spread across East Kalimantan Province (Kaltim) throughout Wednesday, December 20.

"A total of 31 hot spots were detected last Wednesday from 01.00 - 24.00 Indonesian Central Time (WITA)," said Sepinggan Balikpapan Class I Station Data Coordinator Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman (SAMS) Diyan Novrida in Balikpapan, Antara, Thursday, December 21.

Information on the distribution of hot spots is immediately conveyed to the relevant parties, especially the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) at the respective provincial and district levels, so that further action can be taken.

This number of hot spots has increased compared to the previous day (19/12) when 22 were monitored, so he appealed to all elements of society to help prevent forest and land fires (karhutla).

Prevention that people can take includes not throwing cigarette butts carelessly and not burning when clearing or clearing land, because dry leaves and twigs are prone to spreading fires more widely.

She admitted that it is now the rainy season, but there are still a number of areas where there has been no rain for several days, causing leaves and twigs to dry out which can easily catch fire.

"A total of 31 hot spots that were monitored yesterday were spread across four districts, namely West Kutai (2), East Kutai (7), Kutai Kartanegara (1), and Berau Regency (21)," said Diyan.

The breakdown per sub-district for the 31 hot spots last Wednesday was in West Kutai where two spots were detected, both of which were in Bongan District. Then in East Kutai Regency there are seven points, all of which are in Bengalon District, and in Kutai Kartanegara they are in Muara Wis District.

"In Berau Regency, 21 hot spots were detected, spread across seven sub-districts, namely Gunung Tabur (1), Derawan Island (1), Sambaliung (10), Segah (6), Tabalar (1), Talisayan (1), and Teluk District Batur one point," said Diyan.