Banjarbaru, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago emphasised ground task force operations are key in controlling forest and land fires, as every hotspot must be put out immediately before it spreads.
“All task forces must step up ground operations and not rely on aerial firefighting as the primary effort to control the fires,” Chaniago said while inspecting fire control efforts in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, on Saturday.
He noted hot weather causes fires to spread rapidly, making the speed of personnel on the ground a critical factor in preventing fires from expanding to larger areas.
“No matter how small the fire is, ground patrols must extinguish it immediately. Once a fire grows and spreads, handling it becomes much more difficult and requires support from water-bombing helicopters,” he noted.
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Chaniago also stressed the firefighting effort is only done when the area has been thoroughly cooled down, instructing teams to continuously douse burnt areas using all available water sources until no glowing embers remain that could reignite the fire, particularly on peatlands.
In addition to strengthening ground operations, the minister highlighted the importance of enhancing cross-agency coordination, including promptly reporting needs for additional resources to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
He called on local governments to put forward their best efforts and bolster coordination, so that any fire outbreak can be handled quickly, effectively, and decisively.
The safety of task force personnel must remain the top priority, he said, emphasising that every operation should be led by field commanders who carefully evaluate fire conditions, wind direction, and other technical factors.
“Most importantly, ensure there are no casualties, prioritise the safety of our officers in the field,” Chaniago said.
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Translator: Tumpal Andani, Raka Adji
Editor: Fransiska Ninditya
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