KAYONG UTARA, TheKabarNews.com—West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan joined firefighters tackling forest and land fires (karhutla) in Kayong Utara on Monday, September 21. The provincial administration expanded assistance for residents affected by drought, water shortages and crop failures.

Kayong Utara Regent Romi Wijaya and Deputy Regent Amru Chanwari accompanied Norsan during his inspection of fire sites at Bukit Peramas in Sukadana district. Erlina Ria Norsan, who chairs the provincial Family Welfare Empowerment team, also joined the visit.

The governor entered the affected area and helped a joint team of firefighters, volunteers and residents extinguish flames. Dry leaves and dead tree trunks had provided fuel for the fire. The site’s steep and rocky terrain complicated ground operations.

“Based on our observations, the fire at Bukit Peramas has mainly burned dry leaves and tree trunks that dried out during the prolonged dry season,” Norsan said.

Thick smoke and hilly terrain also limited aerial operations. Local reports said authorities could not immediately deploy water-bombing helicopters because poor visibility created flight-safety risks. West Kalimantan had two helicopters on standby for fire suppression.

During the visit, the provincial administration provided 250 kilograms of rice, 50 kilograms of sugar and 50 liters of cooking oil to two community-run kitchens serving firefighters and volunteers. Each kitchen also received Rp25 million. This brought the cash assistance to Rp50 million.

The kitchens rely on local residents, including women’s groups, to prepare and distribute meals to firefighting posts around Bukit Peramas and the Gunung Palung area. Moreover, the aid was intended to keep those operations running while crews remained in the field.

Norsan later distributed more than 5,000 liters of clean water in the Simpang Hilir district. The provincial administration also offered 1,000 subsidized food packages at Rp50,000 each. These were for households affected by prolonged dry weather and failed harvests.

“We are distributing clean water to help residents facing a water shortage,” Norsan said.

“The affordable-food program is intended to ease the burden on people who suffered crop failures because of the prolonged dry season.”

The water and food assistance addressed the wider effects of the drought rather than the fire alone. Limited rainfall has reduced household water supplies and placed additional pressure on agricultural communities.

Romi thanked the governor for inspecting the site and participating in the firefighting operation.

“Thank you to the governor for coming directly to Kayong Utara and joining the combined team in extinguishing several fire points at Bukit Peramas,” Romi said.

“We hope this inspection will help reduce the number of fire points and prevent further fires.”

Weather conditions remained uncertain after the visit. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded hazy air around Kayong Utara waters early on September 22. However, its forecast indicated possible light rain over the following days, according to BMKG.

Emergency supplies can reduce the immediate impact on residents and responders. However, sustained patrols, safer aerial operations and sufficient rainfall will determine how quickly authorities can contain the remaining fires.