BNPB: 30 Hotspots Still Burning in West Kalimantan

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has reported that 30 fire hotspots related to forest and land fires (karhutla) are still burning in West Kalimantan.

“In West Kalimantan, we are monitoring 30 hotspots with generally hazardous air quality and visibility below 1 km,” said the Acting Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Centre, Berton SP Panjaitan, during a press conference on Tuesday (1/9).

He noted that the forest and land fire situation in West Kalimantan still requires serious attention. The BNPB continues its firefighting and management efforts, though the task force faces several obstacles in its response.

“Integrated air and ground operations are ongoing. However, operations are still facing challenges such as low visibility, the difficulty of extinguishing peatland fires, and limited water resources,” he continued.

Several law enforcement measures are also being implemented in West Kalimantan by the Environmental Agency (DLH) and relevant agencies. These steps include monitoring corporate compliance, sealing burnt land locations, applying administrative sanctions, and evaluating or threatening the revocation of business licences for those involved in arson.

The BNPB reported 7,377 hotspots and 72 fire spots in West Kalimantan on Monday (31/8). This figure represents a significant increase from previous BNPB reports.

These forest and land fires are also impacting air quality in West Kalimantan. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded that air quality in Kubu Raya and Mempawah Regencies reached the hazardous or ‘black’ category as of Tuesday (1/9) at 10:00 WIB.