East Kalimantan Police Name Three Suspects in Forest and Land Fires in Kutai Kartanegara and Berau
Three men have been named as suspects by East Kalimantan Police in connection with forest and land fires in two areas of the province, according to the force’s public relations head, Senior Commissioner Tedy Soepandi. Two of the suspects, identified by the initials N and JP, were named in a case in Loa Kulu District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency, while a third suspect, BS, was named in a case in Tanjung Batu, Pulau Derawan District, Berau Regency.
The Loa Kulu case began on Wednesday, 29 July, when PT International Timber Corporation Indonesia Kartika Utama detected smoke rising from burning on Jalan 3500, Jonggon Village. A joint firefighting team and company personnel went to the location, where they found N and JP, who admitted to clearing land by burning despite an existing ban on such practices. Both were taken into police custody and later named as suspects following an investigation and case review.
In Berau, police uncovered a forest and land fire case in Tanjung Batu, Pulau Derawan District, naming BS as a suspect. The fire destroyed approximately 12 hectares of land. The case began with hotspot monitoring by the Berau Regency forest and land fire task force together with the Production Forest Management Unit. A joint team then checked the location and conducted an investigation.
Based on the investigation, BS allegedly ignited fires at five points on Saturday, 8 August, on the orders of a landowner preparing for oil palm planting. Hot weather, dry vegetation and strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly to other areas, including a forestry company’s concession land, resulting in estimated material losses of Rp1.2 billion. Firefighting efforts involved police, the regional disaster management agency, firefighters, Manggala Agni, volunteers and local residents.
Police have elevated both cases to the investigation stage. The suspects face charges under the Environmental Protection and Management Law, the Job Creation Law on plantation and forestry sectors, and Article 305 of the Criminal Code. Police urged the public to remain vigilant against forest and land fire risks, particularly amid dry weather, and to refrain from clearing land by burning. The public was also asked to report any burning activity or hotspots to police or relevant agencies. East Kalimantan Police stressed that there would be no tolerance for forest and land burning, whether deliberate or due to negligence.