BNPB Holds Weather Modification Operation in West Aceh, Extinguish Karhutla

Officers prepare to conduct weather modification operations (OMC) in West Aceh Regency via an aircraft at the Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport, Blang Bintang (ANTARA/HO-BNPB)

JAKARTA - The West Aceh Regency Government ensures that the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) carries out Weather Modification Operations (OMC) in this area, as one of the efforts to provide assistance for forest and land fires (karhutla) which currently have reached 57.7 hectares.

"Alhamdulillah, most of West Aceh has started to rain. We hope that this weather modification operation can help put out the forest fire," said West Aceh Regent Tarmizipada Tuesday, February 3, reported by ANTARA.

On Wednesday (28/1) last week, the West Aceh Regency together with ASN and the community also held the Istisqase prayer as an effort to ask Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala (SWT) to send rain, because until now the land fire event has caused a haze that has affected the community and residents' breathing.

In addition, he said, the impact of the land fire disaster that has occurred in the last week has also resulted in thick smog and threatens to disrupt public health in Meulaboh, the capital of West Aceh Regency and its surroundings.

His party thanked BNPB for helping the efforts to extinguish land fires in West Aceh, through weather modification operations through the air route by sprinkling salt.

This step is also an effort by the government in overcoming the forest fires in West Aceh Regency which has spread and is currently still being carried out to extinguish the fire.

Previously, the West Aceh Regency officially formed a command for emergency response to the karhutla disaster through the Decision of the Regent of West Aceh Number 86 of 2026, as an effort to prevent the further spread of land fires in the local area which has now reached 57.7 hectares.

Regent Tarmizi said that with the increasing spread of land fires in this area, it is necessary to carry out quick, targeted, and effective handling, in order to anticipate the impact of the increasingly widespread karhurlase disaster.

He said the emergency command for land fires in West Aceh Regency was tasked with planning emergency operations for karhutla disasters and requesting assistance.

This team is also tasked with carrying out and coordinating the deployment of resources for the rapid, accurate, efficient, and effective handling of emergency forest and land fires.

This team was also formed to carry out information collection and disseminate information regarding the disaster and its handling to the mass media and the general public.