Hundreds of hectares land burns in Tanah Laut

Pelaihari, South Kalimantan (AntaranewsKalsel) - Head of the Tanah Laut Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Muhammad Noor said from early August 2017 until now land fires in the district has reached hundreds of hectares.

"The land fires occurred in two sub-districts, Bati-Bati and Tambang Ulang," Muhammad Noor said in Pelaihari on Friday.

According to him, the hundreds of hectares of burning land is empty land only overgrown with weeds and left alone by the owner. Fortunately the fire, he said, did not spread to the settlements, rice crops or other plants.

In dealing with land fires, he explained, officers in the field did not get a problem due to the readiness of equipment and fire trucks. Besides, BPBD always coordinates with Tanah Laut Land and Forest Fire Team involving various government agencies, police, army and private.

It's just, he said, when land fires occur at night and its location in the middle made it difficult to reach due to dark conditions and no road leading to the fire.

Separately, Sub-District Head Ferhad Nurulah admitted that land fires in his area often occurs within one month.

"The burnt land is generally not maintained because the owners do not live in the Tanah Laut District," he said.