Forest and Land Fires Surround Housing Estate Near Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarbaru

Severe forest and land fires (karhutla) surrounded a residential area near Syamsudin Noor International Airport in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, on Saturday afternoon (22/8/2026).

Hotspots were observed burning vacant land on Jalan Usaha Tani and Jalan Sempati in Syamsudin Noor sub-district. The situation threatened the safety of residents in two large housing complexes in the area.

“Two housing complexes are threatened by the fires, namely Aero Sinergia Complex and Aeropolis 1 Complex,” said Maryadi, a member of the volunteer firefighting team from BPK Barokah Syamsudin Noor who was deployed directly to the scene.

To extinguish the spreading flames, BPK Barokah Syamsudin Noor deployed two tanker trucks and one vehicle equipped with a portable pump. However, the fire burning the vacant land reportedly continued to approach residential areas, triggering panic among local residents.

As the situation became increasingly dangerous due to thick smoke, officials urged residents to evacuate immediately. “We ask residents whose homes are already surrounded by smoke to leave and move away temporarily,” Maryadi stressed.

As of the time this report was filed, the fire was still burning and volunteer teams continued to battle the blaze. Field officers faced serious obstacles, including a shortage of water supply around the incident site. Additionally, exposure to dense smoke causing eye irritation posed challenges for volunteers in their efforts to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to residential buildings.