Troops Battle Peatland Fires
Indonesian troops battled forest and land fires in Central Kalimantan’s capital, Palangkaraya, on Friday, where peatland fires have repeatedly flared during the dry season.
Footage shows personnel from the Indonesian Army’s regional military command, Kodam XXII/Tambun Bungai, carrying hoses across the ground and using a ladder to reach parts of the fire. Troops can also be seen dousing burning vegetation as thick smoke rises from the area.
Lieutenant Colonel Asep Rudianto, Commander of Bekangdam XXII/Tambun Bungai, said difficult terrain meant crews could not always reach the fires with vehicles.
“Not all roads are accessible to vehicles. We continue to extinguish the fire manually, going in as far as our walking capacity allows,” he said.
Crews Fight Hidden Flames
Rudianto said crews also had to cool the ground thoroughly because fire could remain beneath the surface.
“These fine roots tightly bind the roots inside. There are hollow spaces inside. So if we push it with tools, it is the same as moving it, blowing on it. So we must loosen the sides and cool them down. Like at this one spot, this fire must not just be extinguished. It must stay cool. So that hopefully it will not spread anywhere,” he added.
As the fires burned, Indonesia’s Air Pollution Standard Index at the city’s Jekan Raya monitoring station reached 3,540 on Friday afternoon. A reading above 300 is classified as hazardous.
Palangkaraya’s disaster agency recorded 443 forest and land fires covering almost 500 hectares between June 1 and September 2. The city remains under emergency response status for forest and land fires and drought until September 8.
Fires Spread Beyond Kalimantan
Separate fires have also required military support elsewhere in Indonesia. On September 2, Indonesian Navy personnel joined police and disaster agency crews to tackle a fire covering around six hectares near Soekarno Regional Hospital in Merawang district, Bangka Regency.
Article by Viory
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