Forest and land fires continue to surge in Central Bangka Regency, Bangka Belitung Islands Province. According to the local Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the total area affected has reached approximately 118 hectares by last Saturday.
Head of BPBD for Central Bangka Regency Yudi Shabara said the area was a cumulative result from handling land fire incidents conducted by the combined BPBD and fire service teams throughout 2026. Yudi revealed there was a sharp increase in the number of incidents as the year reached mid-year, with at least 51 land fire events recorded in the period from July to 8 August.
The area along the main road from Koba to Kurau was recorded as the most prone, with 11 incidents during that period. "The surge in incidents over the past two months shows that several areas in Central Bangka are still in a fire-prone condition, so the public is required to increase vigilance," said Yudi.
Given the large amount of dried vegetation that poses a high risk of triggering new fire sources, BPBD Central Bangka appealed to the public to avoid land burning, immediately report fire sources to officers, not to carelessly discard cigarette butts or flammable objects, and to clear flammable materials from around residential areas as well as ensuring fire sources have been completely extinguished after use.
