A forest and land fire broke out in the Mount Pucang Rangga Block area, Condro Village, Pasirian District, Lumajang Regency, on Friday (10/7) night. The incident, which scorched about two hectares of land, was successfully brought under control thanks to a quick response from a cross-sector joint team.
Head of Lumajang Regency BPBD, Isnugroho, confirmed that the flames were first detected at 5:40 PM WIB after residents spotted thick plumes of smoke in Plot 15A and 15B2 RPH Bago BKPH Pasirian. The residents' report was promptly addressed by the joint team consisting of BPBD, Perhutani, members of Koramil 0821/09 Pasirian, Pasirian Sector Police, and Condro Village officials.
Extinguishing efforts faced major challenges as the terrain did not allow access for fire engines. To overcome this obstacle, the joint team worked hand in hand to extinguish the fire manually. They used simple tools such as fire flappers (gepyok) made from wet branches and iron rakes, as well as creating firebreaks to cut off the spread of the flames to other forest areas.
Based on initial field investigations, the fire is strongly suspected to have been triggered by natural factors. Friction between rocks amid hot and dry weather conditions during the dry season is believed to have ignited weeds and dry leaves at the location. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant against potential land fires throughout the dry season.
