BPBD Bans Tourists From Entering The Climbing Line Of Mount Tangkuban Boats

The current situation is in the natural tourism area of Mount Tangkuban Parahu, West Bandung Regency, West Java, Monday (9/9/2024). (ANTARA/Rubby Jovan)

The West Bandung Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has temporarily banned tourists from entering the Sukawana hiking trail leading to Mount Tangkuban Boat, West Bandung Regency, West Java, as a result of forest area fires that occurred on Wednesday (4/9).

The Head of BPBD West Bandung, Meidi stated that a temporary closure needs to be carried out for the safety of visitors in the area until it is confirmed that it is really safe to pass.

"For the safety of residents and visitors or climbers, we temporarily closed this route for approximately two weeks but we have to see what the situation and conditions are like," Meidi said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, September 9.

Meidi revealed that during the blackout process, his party found it difficult because the area was difficult to reach by fire engines.

His party managed to extinguish the 5 hectare fire area with the help of joint personnel consisting of elements of BPBD, TNI-Polri, Fire Service to volunteers for more than 30 hours.

"The hotspots were no longer there because yesterday it rained heavily at the location. The blackout was indeed manual, but it was helped by rain," he said.

Meanwhile, Head of the Conservation Section of Region IV Purwakarta of the West Java Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA), Vitriana Yulalita, said the temporary suspicion that the cause of the fire was from visitor activities.

"So the results of monitoring at the location by BPBD and BBKSDA during the extinguishing effort, it is possible that the source of the fire that caused the fire came from visitor activities," said Vitriana.

One of the indications, he said, was that there were traces of visitor activity around the location of the fire. However, the exact cause of the fire needs to be further ascertained.

"Indeed, there are traces of visitor activities around the fire location. But fortunately now the conditions are wet, because it has rained several times," he said.

People and tourists are asked to always be vigilant and not burn anything because it can potentially cause forest fires in the middle of the dry season.

"Then we installed information boards that prohibit visitors who come to the area from lighting or using fire," he said.