Kebakaran hutan dan lahan (karhutla) terjadi ketika api menjalar pada kawasan hutan, lahan gambut, dan area penggunaan lain. Api dapat muncul dari pembukaan lahan, kondisi lahan yang kering, atau sumber api lain yang tidak terkendali. Pada lahan gambut, api dapat bergerak pada lapisan bawah permukaan dan bertahan lebih lama, sehingga sulit dipadamkan hanya dengan pemadaman di permukaan.
Kabupaten Pulang Pisau, Kalimantan Tengah, menjadi salah satu wilayah dengan catatan kejadian karhutla pada beberapa periode kemarau. Dampaknya tidak hanya pada tutupan lahan, tetapi juga pada permukiman yang berada dekat kawasan gambut. Dan, Desa Buntoi menjadi salah satu desa yang merasakan langsung kondisi tersebut. Warga menyebut asap masuk ke rumah, aktivitas harian berhenti, dan gangguan kesehatan muncul pada beberapa periode kebakaran.
Pada 2015, berdasar data Rencana Aksi Pengendalian Karhutla Kabupaten Pulang Pisau Kementrian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan (KLHK) dan Kemitraan, luas kebakaran di Kabupaten Pulang mencapai sekitar 83.965,5 hektar. Mengacu pada data KLHK, SIPONGI, dan dokumen SIAP IFM, pada 2019, luas kebakaran tercatat sekitar 10.000 hektar. Pada 2023, kejadian karhutla kembali terdeteksi di beberapa wilayah Kalimantan Tengah termasuk Pulang Pisau. Berdasarkan pemantauan KLHK melalui SIPONGI dengan pola kemunculan titik panas pada periode kemarau yang tersebar pada sejumlah lokasi berbeda.
TPK – TPH Buntoi IKH tengah memadamkan Karhutla Buntoi dokumentasi 2023 September: Sumber Foto: KPSHK.
Pengalaman berulang tersebut juga dirasakan warga Desa Buntoi. Asap masuk ke permukiman, jarak pandang menurun, dan aktivitas luar rumah berkurang saat kebakaran terjadi. Susilawati, warga Buntoi, mengingat kondisi ketika api muncul pada lahan kebun dan asap masuk ke permukiman hingga mengganggu pernapasan keluarga. Pengalaman ipengalaman warga tu menjadi bagian dari latar lahirnya Inisiatif Kahayan Hilir (IKH) sebagai upaya penguatan pengelolaan lanskap gambut berbasis desa untuk pencegahan karhutla melalui keterlibatan masyarakat.
Program Inisiatif Kahayan Hilir (IKH) di Buntoi berjalan mulai Tahun 2022 melalui pembentukan dan penguatan Tim Penjaga Hutan (TPH). Tim ini melakukan patroli rutin pada kawasan rawan, terutama jalur gambut hutan desa. Patroli dilakukan untuk memantau kondisi lahan, titik panas, serta tanda awal kebakaran. “Patroli jalan terus. Titik panas kami laporkan segera jika ada,” kata Tito, anggota LPHD Buntoi.
Pada musim kemarau, KPSHK dan LPHD juga membentuk Tim Darurat Karhutla (TDK) sebagai bagian dari kesiapsiagaan. TDK juga merupakan bentuk kolaborasi berbagai pihak, seperti Tim Penjaga Hutan (TPH), Masyarakat Peduli Api (MPA), Babinsa, dan Bhabinkamtibmas, untuk merespons cepat jika muncul api pada area rawan. Mekanisme ini membuat penanganan awal dapat dilakukan sebelum api meluas.
Selain penguatan sumber daya manusia, intervensi juga dilakukan sejak 2022 melalui pembangunan infrastruktur pencegahan karhutla. Sumur bor dibangun pada titik rawan air untuk mendukung pemadaman awal. Menara pantau digunakan untuk mengamati kemunculan titik api dari jarak tertentu. Sekat kanal dibangun untuk menjaga kelembapan lahan gambut agar tidak mudah kering dan terbakar. “Kami masuk jalur rawan. Kami lihat kondisi lahan, kami cek titik api,” kata Jamal, TPH Buntoi.
Pelatihan bagi TPH dan masyarakat juga menjadi bagian dari program IKH. Pelatihan ini mencakup pengenalan tanda awal kebakaran, penggunaan alat pemantauan, serta mekanisme pelaporan cepat kepada tim desa, dan pemadaman karhutla di gambut. Kehadiran patroli rutin, tim darurat, dan infrastruktur pencegahan membuat pola penanganan bergeser menuju deteksi lebih awal dan respons yang lebih cepat pada lanskap gambut yang rentan.
Penulis: Alma
Editor: JW & Kiss
Forest and land fires (karhutla) occur when fires spread through forest areas, peatlands, and other land use areas. Fires can arise from land clearing, dry conditions, or other uncontrolled ignition sources. In peatlands, fires can spread beneath the surface and persist for longer periods, making them difficult to extinguish with surface fires alone.
Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan, is one of the regions with a record of forest and land fires during several dry periods. The impacts not only affect land cover but also settlements near peat areas. Buntoi Village is one of the villages directly affected by these conditions. Residents reported smoke entering their homes, halting daily activities, and health problems occurring during several periods of fire.
In 2015, according to data from the Pulang Pisau Regency Forest and Land Fire Control Action Plan from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) and the Partnership, the area of fires in Pulang Pisau Regency reached approximately 83,965.5 hectares. According to data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), SIPONGI (Single-Scale Forest Management System), and the SIAP IFM document, in 2019, fires covered approximately 10,000 hectares. In 2023, forest and land fires were again detected in several areas of Central Kalimantan, including Pulang Pisau. Based on KLHK monitoring through SIPONGI, hotspots emerged during the dry season, spread across several different locations.
TPK – TPH Buntoi IKH extinguishing forest and land fires in Buntoi, September 2023 documentation: Photo Source: KPSHK.
Residents of Buntoi Village also experienced this repeated experience. Smoke entered their homes, visibility decreased, and outdoor activities were reduced during the fires. Susilawati, a Buntoi resident, recalled the conditions when fires broke out in their gardens, and smoke entered their homes, disrupting their families’ breathing. These experiences formed part of the foundation for the Kahayan Hilir Initiative (IKH), an effort to strengthen village-based peatland landscape management to prevent forest and land fires through community involvement.
The Kahayan Hilir Initiative (IKH) program in Buntoi began in 2022 through the formation and strengthening of the Forest Guard Team (TPH). This team conducts routine patrols in vulnerable areas, particularly the peatlands of the village forest. Patrols are conducted to monitor land conditions, hotspots, and early signs of fire. “Patrols are ongoing. We report hotspots immediately if any,” said Tito, a member of the Buntoi Forest Management Agency (LPHD).
During the dry season, the KPSHK and LPHD also formed a Forest and Land Fire Emergency Team (TDK) as part of preparedness. The TDK is a collaborative effort between various parties, including the Forest Guard Team (TPH), the Fire Awareness Community (MPA), the Babinsa (village supervisory officer), and the Bhabinkamtibmas (community police officer), to respond quickly to fires in vulnerable areas. This mechanism allows for initial response before the fires spread.
In addition to strengthening human resources, interventions have also been implemented since 2022 through the development of forest and land fire prevention infrastructure. Borehole wells have been built at water-prone areas to support early extinguishing. Monitoring towers are used to monitor fire outbreaks from a distance. Canal barriers are built to maintain peatland moisture so it doesn’t dry out and catch fire easily. “We enter vulnerable areas. We assess the land conditions and check for hotspots,” said Jamal, a member of the Buntoi Forest Management Team (TPH).
Training for the TPH and the community is also part of the IKH program. This training covers recognizing early signs of fire, using monitoring tools, and mechanisms for rapid reporting to village teams, as well as extinguishing forest and land fires in peatlands. The presence of regular patrols, emergency teams, and prevention infrastructure has shifted management practices toward earlier detection and faster response in vulnerable peatland landscapes.
Author: Alma
Editor: JW & Kiss
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