Baluran National Park Deploys 67 Personnel To Overcome Forest Fires

A gang of deer crossed the Jalan in the Baluran Situbondo National Park area, East Java. BETWEEN/Budi Candra

SITUBONDO - Balai Taman Nasional Situbondo, East Java continues to strive to overcome forest and land fires (karhutla) on Mount Baluran by deploying 67 personnel including assisted by volunteers.

Public Relations of the Baluran Situbondo National Park Office, Joko Mulyono, said that of the 67 personnel deployed to extinguish the fire were employees of the Balan National Park and volunteers from the Fire Care Community (MPA) and the community of national park partners.

"Until the third day of forest and land fires in the mountains in the Baluran National Park area, we were assisted by volunteers from the Fire Care Community and our partners," Joko said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, September 27.

According to him, so far the Balan National Park officers and assisted by volunteers have extinguished the fire using traditional fire extinguishers, namely the geopyok and jet shooter.

"We and other colleagues put out the fire using guns, if the shooter jet with a vest filled with water is rarely used because it is heavy and the terrain to the location of the fire is very steep," said Joko.

Information gathered on Tuesday (26/9) yesterday, the Situbondo Police Chief together with his staff reviewed the forest fires and land fires of Mount Baluran from a distance.

The Nature Tourism Object of the Baluran Situbondo National Park has been temporarily closed since September 25-30, 2023, because road access is the only way for national park officers to operate and mobilize officers to deal with forest and land fires in the tourist area.

It was recorded that from Monday (25/9) to Tuesday (26/9) the area of forest fires and Mount Baluran land in the national park area had reached 88.66 hectares.