Despite the intensified mitigation efforts involving a joint team of firefighters, as of Tuesday evening, the wildfires remained unextinguished, the BPBD-Samosir Office head, Sarimpol Manihuruk, remarked.
The agency detected four hotspots indicating land and forest fires within a pine forest area near the Tele observation tower, he told journalists on the island of Samosir on Tuesday.
To extinguish the forest fires, the agency deployed three fire trucks and a joint team of personnel from several agencies, including the Manggala Agni (firefighter brigade), local police, and military, he added.
Manihuruk noted that endeavors to put out the wildfires will continue on Wednesday, with additional firefighters and fire trucks from the North Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Agency.
He noted that to protect the Lake Toba forest area, the Samosir district government continues to raise public awareness of the importance of locals' active participation in forest fire mitigation and prevention efforts.
Lake Toba is designated as one of Indonesia's super-priority tourist destinations, alongside Labuan Bajo (East Nusa Tenggara), Mandalika (West Nusa Tenggara), Borobudur Temple (Central Java), and Likupang (North Sulawesi).
Related news: Jambi expected to be model for forest, land fire anticipation: govt
Related news: Palm companies in southern Sumatra urged to mitigate forest fires
Related news: Prevent forest, land fires for food, energy security: minister
Translator: Eben Ezer P, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
