ULOG: 19 "Within a day, Samarinda was surrounded by 5 forest and land fires"

Img source : rt.com

Samarinda City, East Kalimantan, continues to be hit by forest and land fires. Within a day, there were five events. At least 10 hectares have been burned. One location, the fire was still burning due to limited blackout equipment.

The five locations of forest and land fires were started at Jalan Gerilya, at around 1:00 p.m., Saturday (15/9). The wind was blowing hard, making the flames quickly spread. Luckily, a burning fire of about three hectares was successfully extinguished by the Fire Department, BPBD and disaster volunteers.

The second fire, in the area of Jalan HM Ardans, was approximately 1.5 hours later. About 10 firefighters, managed to extinguish the flames which burned about 1 hectare.

Again, forest and land fires occurred in the Pelita IV Sambutan area, Palaran area, and in the Loa Bakung area, at almost the same time. The firefighter's focus was split, struggling to put out the flames.

Monitoring reporter in the Pelita IV area, for example, which is approximately 9 kilometers from the city center, starting at 3:00 a.m., a thick puff of smoke was seen. The wind blows very hard, plus the condition of the land is very dry, so the fire leads to the forest.

"From three o'clock this afternoon (flames). So, we ask for help with blackouts," said BPBD Samarinda Disaster Response Village (Destana) officer Arianur (45) met by reporter at the site of the burning area.

At the location, firefighters from volunteers have difficulty because of limited water sources, and hotspots that are far enough, so that it also requires a long interval to reach the hotspot. "The reason is, deliberately burned, then left," said Arianur.

No less than three hectares of dry peat land, burning. "There is this possibility for new land clearing. This dry season, every year, it is easy to just burn the land," Arianur added.

Monitoring reporter at the location until 6:00 p.m. this afternoon, firefighters from disaster volunteers, were forced to leave the location, because the length of the hose could not reach the source of the fire, and the lack of water sources. Meanwhile, the flames continued to be swept away by strong winds, leading to the forest.