BMKG Focuses on Preventing Forest and Land Fires in Six Regions from Riau to Kalimantan

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) is focusing preventive measures on forest and land fires (karhutla) in six vulnerable provinces during the 2026 dry season, which is expected to coincide with the El Niño phenomenon. BMKG said hotspot monitoring will be tightened from Sumatra to Kalimantan.

BMKG Head Teuku Faisal Fatani said the six provinces to be focused on are Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.

‘Of course, there are six provinces we are focusing on now, which we guard so that karhutla can be controlled, starting from Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra. Then for Kalimantan there are three provinces, namely South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan,’ Fatani said in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Saturday (23 May 2026).

According to Fatani, the government has shifted its approach to handling karhutla since 2015, from previously focusing on extinguishing fires when they occur to prevention before fires happen. BMKG now uses data on peat moisture and groundwater levels to predict areas with fire risk.

‘If previously when there was a hotspot we extinguished it. But now, before it happens we prevent it or take preventive measures,’ he said.

He explained one strategy is weather modification operations (OMC) in fire-prone areas, particularly peatlands. The measure is implemented by saturating regions predicted to dry out so that they become harder to burn.

‘If it has fallen to a certain threshold, then we need to perform weather modification there to replenish moisture and thus become saturated and harder to burn,’ he added.

However, Fatani reminded that OMC can only be carried out when there are clouds suitable for seeding. If there are no clouds, weather intervention cannot be performed.

‘Weather modification can be done if there are clouds. If there are none, we cannot seed,’ he added.

BMKG had previously warned that this year’s dry season could be drier and longer due to El Niño, with a peak estimated to occur in August to September. This condition is expected to increase the risk of karhutla, especially in southern parts of the equator such as southern Sumatra and Kalimantan.