inp.polri.go.id - Paser. A joint team has once again been involved in the wildfire efforts in Paser Regency. This time, the fire occurred on community land in Kerang Village, Batu Engau District, on Sunday (10/4/2026).
Upon receiving reports of the fire, joint personnel immediately rushed to the location to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to the community's plantation area.
Paser Sub-regional Police Chief, Superintendent Sofyan, through Batu Engau Sector Police Chief, Police Senior Inspector Yudhi Ismanto, explained that the extinguishing process faced several obstacles due to the location's geographical conditions, which include a deep ravine.
"The terrain is one of the obstacles in the extinguishing process. Therefore, in addition to extinguishing the fire, officers created barriers to prevent the flames from spreading to residents' plantations," he explained.
The incident was first discovered and reported by Suci, the Secretary of Kerang Village. After receiving the information, Batu Engau Sector Police personnel, along with relevant agencies, immediately responded to the scene at around 2:30 p.m.
Officers deployed one fire truck to extinguish the blaze. Firebreaks were also established at several locations as a precautionary measure to prevent the fire from spreading to other potentially affected areas.
At around 4:00 PM, the fire was successfully extinguished in the accessible area. Officers then conducted a cooling process, or mopping up, until around 5:00 PM to ensure no hotspots rekindled.
The fire has been completely extinguished on approximately 20 hectares of land. Meanwhile, approximately 30 hectares remain untouched due to the ravine, making it difficult for firefighters to reach.
The fire also affected community land and several oil palm trees. However, the joint team's swift action in extinguishing and blocking the area prevented the fire from spreading to surrounding community plantations.
The handling of these forest and land fires is part of a joint effort by the police, sub-district government, firefighters, and related agencies to prevent the spread of land fires and protect the safety and assets of the community.
(ad/ek/pr/rs)
