Jakarta (ANTARA) \u2014 The Forestry Ministry (Kemenhut) has stepped up\nefforts to extinguish forest and land fires in Tanjung Puting National\nPark, Central Kalimantan, and says firefighting helicopters have been\nsent. However, smoke haze has restricted visibility and hampered\noperations.<\/p>\n
Ristianto Pribadi, head of the ministry\u2019s Bureau of Public Relations\nand International Cooperation, said in a statement confirmed from\nJakarta on Monday that he appreciated the efforts of all officers,\nvolunteers, local residents and other parties working to tackle the\nfires in Tanjung Puting National Park.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe understand the difficult conditions faced by teams on the ground,\nparticularly the size of the affected area, the challenges of reaching\nfire sites and the characteristics of peatland, which make fires\ndifficult to extinguish,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Regarding aerial firefighting support, or water bombing, the Tanjung\nPuting National Park Office under the Forestry Ministry formally\nsubmitted a request to the Central Kalimantan Provincial Disaster\nManagement Agency (BPBD) on 9 September 2026.<\/p>\n
One obstacle to aerial firefighting has been thick smoke, which has\nlimited visibility. Ristianto said this had to be taken into account\nwhen conducting helicopter operations to ensure flight safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoordination with relevant agencies is ongoing so that aerial\nfirefighting support can be provided when operational conditions allow,\u201d\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The ministry said it had deployed personnel from technical\nimplementation units under the Directorate General of Natural Resources\nand Ecosystem Conservation, provided additional budget support, procured\nfirefighting equipment and infrastructure for field operations, and\nstepped up monitoring and evaluation of fire-control efforts.<\/p>\n
Firefighting in Tanjung Puting is being carried out in collaboration\nwith various parties, including government agencies, the Indonesian\nMilitary and National Police, local authorities, communities, the\nprivate sector, non-governmental organisations and tourism operators in\nthe surrounding area.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognise that tackling fires in peatland ecosystems requires\nsustained efforts and support from many parties. The Forestry Ministry\ncontinues to strengthen its response, prioritising personnel safety,\nfire control, and the protection of conservation areas and wildlife\nhabitat, particularly that of orangutans in Tanjung Puting National\nPark,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, volunteers from the Kalimantan Green Orangutan Foundation\n(YOHK) and the Indonesian Tourist Guides Association (HPI), who were\nworking in West Kotawaringin, announced that they were withdrawing from\nfirefighting operations in Tanjung Puting National Park.<\/p>\n
In a statement on social media, representatives of the volunteers\nsaid they had decided to pull out because they felt their efforts to\nextinguish the fires had not received adequate support, despite having\ncommitted their capabilities to the operation.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/forestry-ministry-steps-up-forest-and-land-firefighting-in-tanjung-puting-1791795255", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }