Forest and Land Fires in Six Priority Provinces Scorch 48,889 Hectares

Forest and land fires continue to affect several regions in Indonesia. Manggala Agni officers from Sumatra XVI-Lahat are working to extinguish a land fire in Karya Jaya, Kertapati District, Palembang, South Sumatra.

Data from the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs shows that the total area burned in six priority provinces from January to 9 August 2026 reached 48,889 hectares. West Kalimantan recorded the largest burned area at approximately 28,680 hectares, followed by Riau with 15,551 hectares. South Sumatra recorded 664 hectares of burned land, while fires in Jambi reached around 540 hectares during the same period.

Overall, forest and land fires across Indonesia have burned approximately 107,000 hectares, with firefighting and prevention efforts ongoing to limit further spread. In Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, the local government has imposed a state of emergency for forest and land fires and drought, effective from 11 August to 8 September, due to the expanding fires and difficulty in obtaining water sources for firefighting operations.