BNPB Tackles Forest and Land Fires Scorching Thousands of Hectares in West Kalimantan, Riau, and South Sumatra

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) is intensifying the handling of forest and land fires that have scorched thousands of hectares across three national priority provinces: West Kalimantan, Riau, and South Sumatra. Abdul Muhari, Head of the BNPB Data, Information, and Communication Centre, stated on Saturday that collaborative firefighting and peatland wetting operations are being ramped up to curb the spread of hotspots in these regions. In West Kalimantan, the total area burned from January to the end of June 2026 has reached 28,216.31 hectares, making it the province with the most extensive fire damage. The latest satellite monitoring still detects 25 hotspots with a medium confidence level in the area. In Riau Province, the total burned area since the beginning of the year up to 2 July 2026 has reached 15,231.44 hectares, with the local government declaring an emergency alert status until 30 November 2026. Meanwhile, forest and land fires in South Sumatra Province were recorded at 305.39 hectares during the January to June 2026 period, with massive ground and aerial firefighting efforts underway. As a concrete measure, a joint task force supported by the BNPB conducted a water bombing operation on Thursday (3/7), successfully reaching and extinguishing flames in a nine-hectare burned area. Beyond fire suppression, the BNPB is also strengthening anticipatory measures against the potential impacts of climate anomalies influenced by El Niño and this year’s extended dry season. Various dry hydrometeorological mitigation instruments are being rolled out nationally, including weather modification operations, the construction of boreholes, the installation of pipes, and the acceleration of clean water distribution to vulnerable areas.