HARIANEXPRESS – A three-hectare teak forest owned by Perum Perhutani in Blitar, East Java, caught fire on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
The blaze, located in Kaulon Village, Sutojayan District, was successfully extinguished by a joint team of dozens of personnel. Responders from BPBD, Perhutani KPH Blitar, TNI, and Polri battled the fire on Wednesday evening around 6:30 PM WIB.
Wahyudi, Head of Blitar Regency BPBD, reported that the fire originated from a corner of the teak forest area. Strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly, eventually covering approximately three hectares.
“Api membakar area bawah pohon jati. Bahan bakarnya tumpukan daun kering, semak belukar kering dan dahan-dahan kering,” ujar Wahyudi (Kepala BPBD Kabupaten Blitar) saat dikonfirmasi, Rabu malam.
Wahyudi described the firefighting efforts, which began around 2:30 PM WIB, as difficult and time-consuming. Tanker trucks carrying water faced challenges reaching the fire’s hotspots.
