Basirih Landfill in Banjarmasin Catches Fire Amid Worsening Dry Season

Forest and land fires in South Kalimantan Province continue to spread and are worsening. On Monday (10/8), the fire reached the Basirih landfill area in Banjarmasin City.

“The Basirih landfill area caught fire but it has been successfully brought under control,” said the Head of the South Kalimantan Provincial Disaster Management Agency, Ronny Eka Saputra, on Monday (10/8), on the sidelines of a forest and land fire coordination meeting at the South Kalimantan Police Headquarters in Banjarbaru.

The fire at the Basirih landfill, the largest landfill in South Kalimantan, occurred at around 11.40 WITA and the flames could only be extinguished at 13.30 WITA. Field officers at the landfill reported that the fire was relatively small in scale, located in the landfill area of Zone 4 of the UPTD TPAS Basirih.

A total of 15 fire engines were deployed to extinguish the flames. The fire is suspected to have been triggered by extreme hot weather and drought affecting the landfill area. Given that the vegetation in Zones 1–6 is currently in a very dry state, the area’s vulnerability to the emergence of hotspots is very high.

To anticipate recurring fires, the UPTD TPAS Basirih together with the fire department are carrying out night watch duties. Not only the Basirih landfill, forest areas such as the Sultan Adam Grand Forest Park have also been reported to have started burning.

Elsewhere, forest and land fires have resulted in smoke haze affecting a number of areas in South Kalimantan. Banjarbaru City has become the worst-hit area by the smoke haze, disrupting public activities.

The Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Banjarbaru Health Office, Dr Siti Ningsih, said that cases of acute respiratory infections continue to rise. Cumulatively, cases of acute respiratory infections and pneumonia in Banjarbaru from January to July 2026 reached 21,323 cases. Residents are urged to wear masks when outdoors.