Ahmad Toyib, Acting Executive Head of the Central Kalimantan Provincial Disaster and Fire Mitigation Agency (BPBPK), stated on Monday that the helicopter can be used for air patrols and water bombing.
"The deployment period of the helicopter can be adjusted based on the assessment from the Forest and Land Fire Task Force and field conditions," he explained.
On June 11, 2023, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) identified 10 hotspots in the area, while the Meteorology, Climatology, while Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported on June 12, 2023, that almost all parts of the province had the potential for forest and land fires.
"In addition, the land patrol team recorded three forest and land fire incidents on June 11, 2023, in the Palangka Raya, West Kotawaringin, and Sukamara areas," stated the BPBPK official.
Considering the situation, two sorties are planned for air patrols. The first sortie will cover the province's capital city, Palangka Raya, and the southern coastal areas, extending to the western region of the province.
The second sortie will patrol from the western area towards the capital city and the central region, passing through the sub-districts of Central Katingan and Kasongan in Katingan District, with a tentative route to the districts of South Barito and Kapuas.
Toyib explained that water bombing would be carried out if the air patrol team identifies an emergency situation during the patrol or if the land patrol team is unable to reach the location of the forest and land fire.
A total of 35 monitoring posts for forest and land fires are distributed throughout the province.
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Translator: Muhammad Hidayat, Uyu Liman
Editor: Anton Santoso
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