Minister inspects fire barrier to protect orangutans in Kalimantan

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4 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni inspected a 3.2-kilometer fire barrier in Paring Lahung Village, North Barito District, Central Kalimantan, built to slow forest and land fires and protect Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) habitat.

Antoni toured the barrier on Saturday with environmental activist and Kalaweit Foundation founder Chanee Kalaweit, according to a statement received on Sunday.

Construction began on Sept. 11 to slow the spread of fire and give field teams room to work.

At the site, the barrier divides burned land from green areas. One side showed fire scars, while vegetation on the other looked intact.

Besides limiting the fire’s spread, the barrier is considered to have helped protect orangutan habitat from the blaze.

It was built with Manggala Agni, the Forestry Ministry’s forest and land fire control brigade, the fire department, the North Barito Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the community and a company that provided heavy equipment.

Chanee said the barrier was needed after repeated firefighting efforts. His team fought the fire for about 10 days before deciding to build it because the flames flared up again.

He said the barrier can also serve as a safeguard when crews face hard-to-control fires, and that strengthening personnel to guard the line after completion is important.

During the emergency, Antoni had earlier allowed limited use of heavy equipment for building fire barriers, stressing it must not exceed what firefighting requires.