BNPB deploys water-bombing helicopter to fight West Papua fires

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2 hours ago

Technical considerations are crucial, especially in mountainous areas and hard-to-reach fire locations,

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has intensified efforts to extinguish forest and land fires in Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua, by deploying a water-bombing helicopter that has carried out 69 aerial drops across affected areas.

Acting Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center Berton SP Panjaitan confirmed in a statement on Saturday that the specialized PK-DBM helicopter conducted two sorties on Friday (August 28).

“The first sortie targeted Cluster 3, with 26 water-bombing drops delivering approximately 26,000 liters of water over four hectares. The second sortie was conducted in Cluster 1, with 28 drops discharging around 28,000 liters over three hectares,” Berton said.

He noted that while the active flames had been extinguished at both sites, thin plumes of smoke remained visible. Residual heat beneath the vegetation cover requires continued monitoring to prevent the fires from reigniting.

Cumulatively, BNPB’s aerial operations in Teluk Bintuni have involved three sorties, releasing a total of 69,000 liters of water.

Berton added that fire management strategies in West Papua are tailored to local conditions and geography. Beyond Teluk Bintuni, active fires have also been detected in Fakfak Regency, South Manokwari, and the Arfak Mountains.

“Technical considerations are crucial, especially in mountainous areas and hard-to-reach fire locations,” he explained, emphasizing that helicopter deployments depend on aircraft range, access to bases, local water sources, and terrain safety.

The aerial intervention comes as satellite monitoring by NASA’s Terra, Aqua, SNPP, and NOAA-20 systems detected 36 active hotspots across West Papua Province, including four flagged with high confidence.

According to data from the Ministry of Forestry’s SIPONGI monitoring platform, the burned area in the province had reached nearly 2,500 hectares as of Thursday (August 27).

BNPB and the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) continue to conduct joint monitoring efforts to protect local communities and contain the further spread of the fires.