Drying Peatlands Increase Forest and Land Fire Threat in South Kalimantan

The dry season and arid air have triggered a surge in forest and land fire cases in the South Kalimantan region. These conditions are causing the Peat Hydrology Area to begin drying out, including a vital area around Syamsudin Noor International Airport in Banjarbaru. “Based on our field observations, the water levels in rivers and reservoirs have decreased significantly due to the drought. Similarly, the peatlands are starting to dry out, so we need to be vigilant,” said the Head of the South Kalimantan Regional Disaster Management Agency, Roni Eka Saputra, on Saturday (11/7). As a precautionary measure, the agency is immediately conducting rewetting on critical peatlands to prevent wider fire potential. “We know that peatland fires are very difficult to handle, so we need to take prevention as early as possible, especially in the ring one area around Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarbaru,” he stated. Based on field monitoring, hotspots continue to emerge across South Kalimantan, including in Banjarbaru City. Several fire locations have even been detected in areas adjacent to Syamsudin Noor Airport, which could threaten flight activities if the smoke haze thickens. The handling of forest and land fires in South Kalimantan is now a priority for the Ministry of Forestry. Through the Kalimantan Regional Forest Fire Control Centre and the Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement, the central government is directly assisting the regional task force. Last week, a joint team from the Ministry of Forestry, the Tanah Laut Regency Disaster Management Agency, and the Manggala Agni Operations Region Kalimantan VI/Tanah Laut extinguished fires in the Tanggul area, Padang Village, Bati-Bati District, Tanah Laut Regency. Besides threatening forests and land, the extreme weather and dry air have also triggered a series of fires in residential areas and economic centres. On Friday (10/7), a major fire struck the Pasar Lima area in Banjarmasin, destroying at least 162 kiosks. The Head of the Banjarmasin City Fire and Rescue Department, Hendro, stated that the extensive area burned meant extinguishing efforts took up to 10 hours. The fire, which began raging around 01.30 WITA, was only fully tamed by 11.00 WITA. The market block that was razed was known to sell various daily necessities, ranging from salted fish, household furniture, and groceries to building materials. Material losses from this disaster are estimated to reach billions of rupiah.