HARIANEXPRESS – A forest fire in Petak 2b RPH Kaulon, Sutojayan District, Blitar Regency, was successfully extinguished by a joint team on Saturday (29/8/2026).
The fire, which started on Saturday night, burned approximately 1.5 hectares of dry teak leaves beneath standing trees. Fortunately, the teak trees in the surrounding area remained intact, preventing further damage.
Residents of Kaulon first spotted the blaze around 18.30 WIB and promptly reported it to Perhutani officers. Joint forces including police, TNI (Babinsa), Perhutani, and local community members immediately responded to the scene.
The team deployed manual firefighting methods, utilizing simple bamboo “gepyok” tools. “Beruntung, kebakaran hanya membakar daun-daun jati kering yang menumpuk cukup tebal. Pohon-pohon jati di sekitar lokasi masih dalam kondisi utuh,” stated Aiptu Saiful Muheni (Kasi Humas Polres Blitar).
These efforts were successful, with the fire brought under control around 21.00 WIB. No fatalities or significant material losses were reported from the incident.
Police authorities are currently collecting testimonies from witnesses and Perhutani officials to ascertain the cause of the fire. The Kasi Humas Polres Blitar also issued a public appeal for increased vigilance.
Aiptu Saiful urged the public to exercise caution during the dry season to prevent potential fire triggers. “Apabila melihat atau mengetahui kejadian yang dapat mengganggu keamanan dan memerlukan bantuan kepolisian, segera laporkan ke kantor polisi terdekat atau layanan 110,” he advised.
