Mount Lawu Forest And Land Fires Expand, BNPB-BPBD Forms Joint Task Force

The forest and land fires (karhutla) of Mount Lawu in Ngawi Regency, East Java, extend to Karanganyar Regency, Central Java.

BNPB and East Java BPBD immediately formed a joint task force (Satgas) so that the blackout could be fast and precise.

"The point is that we synergize so that the handling of forest and land fires is fast and precise. Therefore, we synergize this step of handling forest and land fires, so that it can take place quickly and precisely," said Head of East Java BPBD, Gatot Soebroto, Wednesday, October 4.

Gatot said that his party had also held a cross-provincial coordination meeting at the Karhutla Emergency Management Post at Aji Negoro Field, Mbasri, Sidorejo Village, Kendal District, Ngawi Regency.

The coordination meeting he leads was also attended by the Head of BPBD for three affected areas, namely, Ngawi Regency, Magetan and Karanganyar Regency, Central Java.

"Then also the Head of Bakorwil Madiun Heru Wahono S, representatives of Perum Perhutani, the East Java Forestry Service and representatives of a number of volunteers," he said.

Meanwhile, BNPB Expert Kol. Inf Heri Setyono, said that the formation of the East Java-Central Java Provincial Karhutla Joint Task Force was to deal with the Gunung Lawu Forestry.

"Because the location of the affected is wider in East Java, the Head of the Joint Task Force will ideally be the Head of the East Java BPBD," he said.

The BNPB expert also requested that extinguishing activities by land remain maximized in the three affected areas, focusing on making an explanation as a prevention of the expansion of fires.

"Because the area affected by forest and land fires currently has crossed between provinces," said Heri.