Buleleng’s fire service has issued a fresh dry-season warning after land fires in Tukad Mungga and Sekumpul on 16–17 September. The message is practical rather than dramatic: when grass, scrub and rubbish are dry, a small flame can travel quickly — especially when wind picks up.

What matters now: avoid burning rubbish or clearing land with fire, make sure any flame or ember is fully out before leaving it, and call local emergency services quickly if a fire starts to spread.

Two new land fires in North Bali

On the evening of Wednesday 16 September, a fire burned through about 50 are of plantation land in Tukad Mungga, Buleleng District. The Buleleng Regency Government said the incident was reported at around 7.40pm WITA and was believed to have started after rubbish was burned and then left unattended.

The location was close enough to residential areas to make rapid control important. Firefighters and other responders brought the blaze under control without the incident becoming a wider settlement fire.

A second land fire was handled in Banjar Dinas Lebah, Sekumpul, Sawan. Buleleng BPBD said the response ran from the night of 16 September into the morning of 17 September, with BPBD, firefighters, police, village officials and residents involved in containing and extinguishing the fire.

These are separate local incidents. They do not amount to a declaration that all of North Bali is on fire, but they are a useful warning about how easily dry-season vegetation can ignite.

Why fires can spread faster now

Buleleng’s Fire and Rescue Service chief, I Gede Arya Suardana, told ANTARA on 17 September that dry-season conditions make grass, scrub and rubbish easier to ignite. Strong winds can then push flames through dry material faster than people expect.

The advice from the fire service is to avoid open burning where possible, particularly for rubbish or land clearing. If fire is used, it should never be left unattended and every ember should be fully extinguished before the area is abandoned.

The warning also fits the wider provincial picture. Bali BPBD’s early warning for the second ten-day period of September says parts of the province remain under meteorological drought conditions through 20 September. The agency specifically warns people not to burn land or rubbish carelessly and to fully extinguish cigarette butts, incense and other ignition sources.

This is not Buleleng’s first busy fire day this month

The latest warning follows a cluster of incidents earlier in September. On 7 September, Buleleng firefighters handled six fires in one day, according to ANTARA. The incidents were spread across the regency rather than representing one large continuous fire.

That earlier burst of call-outs matters because it shows why officials are focusing on prevention. Fire crews can be stretched when several small incidents happen on the same day, and a preventable rubbish or grass fire can become much harder to control once wind carries it into surrounding dry vegetation.

What residents should do

  • Avoid open rubbish burning. Use safer disposal methods rather than lighting a pile in dry grass or scrub.
  • Do not leave a fire unattended. Even a small burn can escape if wind changes.
  • Extinguish embers completely. Water and check the area before leaving.
  • Keep ignition sources away from dry vegetation. That includes cigarette butts, incense and sparks from outdoor work.
  • Report a spreading fire early. A quick call gives crews a better chance of containing it before it reaches homes, farms or roadside vegetation.

If you live beside vacant land, gardens or dry roadside vegetation, this is also a good time to clear combustible material from immediately around buildings without using fire to do it.

What this means for visitors

There is no broad travel restriction or general North Bali closure attached to these Buleleng incidents. Visitors can still travel normally, but anyone staying in rural areas, hiking, driving through dry countryside or visiting waterfalls and villages should treat local fire instructions seriously.

Smoke, emergency vehicles or a temporary local access restriction can occur around an active incident. If that happens, follow police, BPBD, village or fire-service directions rather than trying to pass through a response area.

For villa and guesthouse visitors, the same common-sense rule applies: do not throw cigarette butts into dry vegetation, and do not assume a small garden or rubbish fire is harmless because it starts under control.

What to watch next

The immediate story is prevention and local response rather than a new island-wide emergency status. The risk will change with rain, wind and vegetation conditions, so newer notices from Buleleng BPBD, Buleleng Damkarmat or Bali BPBD should take priority over this update.

If the dry spell continues, residents should expect authorities to keep repeating the same message: the easiest fire to fight is the one that never gets started.

Sources