PANGKALPINANG -- Efforts to address forest and land fires (karhutla) in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province continue to be strengthened through cross-sector collaboration.
PT TIMAH, through its Emergency Response Team (ERT), has been actively assisting in extinguishing forest and land fires occurring across several of the company’s operational areas.
From January through August 25, PT TIMAH’s firefighting team has responded to 97 forest and land fire incidents across several areas, including Pangkalpinang, Bangka Regency, West Bangka, and Kundur.
The presence of PT TIMAH’s emergency response team has helped accelerate firefighting efforts, particularly during hot and dry weather conditions that increase the risk of forest and land fires.
Head of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP), Budi Utama, expressed his appreciation for PT TIMAH’s involvement in addressing forest and land fires in the province. According to him, firefighting requires the involvement of all stakeholders, including the government, state-owned enterprises, and vertical government agencies.
“Alhamdulillah, all stakeholders, including PT TIMAH, have been brought together. PT TIMAH has been exceptional in helping us accelerate forest and land fire response, especially during this ‘Godzilla El Niño’ season,” Budi said.
Budi said PT TIMAH’s firefighting team has demonstrated a rapid response whenever fires occur. Coordination is also carried out through the Si Jago Merah Bangka Belitung communication group, which serves as a platform for accelerating information sharing and firefighting response.
PT TIMAH currently has six firefighting vehicles stationed in several areas. Two vehicles are stationed in Pangkalpinang, two in Bangka Regency, one in Kundur, one in Mentok, West Bangka, and two units in Bangka Regency, stationed in Belinyu and Sungailiat.
The deployment of firefighting vehicles across several locations enables a faster response when fires occur, particularly in areas requiring additional support during firefighting operations.
Budi said PT TIMAH’s contribution has also been felt in firefighting efforts in northern Bangka and West Bangka.
“Especially in the northern part of Bangka Regency, their response has been outstanding. The same goes for West Bangka, where they have provided significant assistance,” he said.
According to Budi, the challenges of addressing forest and land fires cannot be handled by a single agency. Collaboration is key to ensuring fires can be brought under control quickly and prevented from spreading.
“If all stakeholders, including state-owned enterprises, vertical government agencies, and the government, come together to help one another, God willing, we will be stronger in facing this ‘Godzilla El Niño’ weather or season,” he said.
He also expressed his appreciation to PT TIMAH for its continued support of the government in addressing forest and land fires in Bangka Belitung.
“Many thanks to PT TIMAH for supporting us in the provincial government. The Governor has also expressed his appreciation to the team, especially the firefighters at PT TIMAH,” he said.
One of the challenges faced by firefighters in responding to forest and land fires is the availability of water sources. The limited capacity of firefighting vehicle tanks means that firefighters need time to refill their tanks when there is no nearby water supply at the fire location.
Budi explained that firefighting vehicles generally carry around four to five tons of water. If the water runs out and there is no nearby water source or water-supply vehicle, firefighters need approximately 15 to 30 minutes to refill the tanks.
“If we are working alone and there is no immediate water supply, we have to go and get more water. That takes approximately 15 to 30 minutes,” he explained.
Therefore, a joint response system through the Si Jago Merah team is important. The presence of multiple vehicles from different agencies allows firefighting and water-supply operations to be carried out alternately.
The government is also working with the Regional Drinking Water Company (Perumda Air Minum) to support water availability, including opening hydrants at several locations that can be used to accelerate water refilling for firefighting vehicles.
In addition to strengthening firefighting preparedness and response, Budi urged the public to avoid actions that could trigger fires.
He called on the public not to intentionally burn land or engage in activities that could cause fires, particularly during hot weather and dry conditions.
“We urge the entire community to stop being careless or intentionally causing fires. Don’t cause trouble,” he stressed.
He also called on the public to help report anyone found intentionally starting a fire.
“If anyone sees someone intentionally starting a fire, please help by reporting them so that there can be a deterrent effect,” he said.
Budi hopes that the synergy between the Bangka Belitung Islands Provincial Government, PT TIMAH, and all stakeholders will not only take place during the dry season or when the threat of forest and land fires increases.
According to him, this cooperation needs to be continuously strengthened because fires have a wide-ranging impact on people’s lives, including their health, social well-being, and economic conditions.
“Going forward, we should not only work together during the El Niño season. We must continue to strengthen this synergy because this concerns the lives of our people. There are also social and economic impacts,” he said. (*)
