A disaster mitigation operation was held to put out forest fires that engulfed the Panderman mountain slope in East Java

News24xx.com -  Authorities initiated a disaster mitigation operation on Monday to put out forest fires that engulfed the Panderman mountain slope in Batu, East Java, on Sunday evening.

The Batu Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported that the fire first broke out on the mountain slope at around 7:45 p.m. on Sunday.

Emergency responders were deployed and had been at the scene ever since to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby villages and residences, BPBD official Achmad Choirur Rochim said.

“We will commence further measures to extinguish the forest fire at 6:30 a.m. on Monday. The operation will start at the Panderman climbing post,” Achmad said on Sunday evening as quoted by Antara news agency.

Achmad added the agency would initially focus on putting out fires in the production forest in order to prevent it from spreading via flammable pine sap in the area.

The Indonesian Military, the local police and public forestry firm Perhutani also jumped in to help extinguish the fire by deploying their personnel and providing the necessary equipment.

All climbers who were previously climbing the mountain were safely evacuated, Achmad said. Authorities closed off the trails to the mountain on Sunday evening.

 

 

 

 

NEWS24XX.COM/DEV/RED