Forest Fires Engulf Indonesia, Coordinating Minister and Palace Issue Warnings

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago has called on citizens to stop clearing land by burning, as forest and land fires continue to spread. He noted that two regions possess local regulations which allow residents to clear land using fire. “There are indeed two provinces that permit burning land for farming purposes using traditional methods. The governors have also stated their readiness to manage this,” Djamari said at the Coordinating Ministry office in Jakarta on Monday. “Under these circumstances, the practice should be halted immediately. The Ministry of Environment will also issue a circular to address this emergency,” he added.

Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Lieutenant General Suharyanto identified the two regions as West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan. He stated the Ministry of Environment would issue a circular to temporarily suspend these local regulations. “For Central Kalimantan, the governor said he will postpone the bylaw. For West Kalimantan, discussions will be held with the regional legislative council. However, the environment ministry will issue a circular to temporarily invalidate these bylaws,” Suharyanto explained.

Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi also appealed to the public to avoid activities that could spark fires during the El Niño drought. “We earnestly request all members of the public to be vigilant and avoid actions that could lead to uncontrollable fires,” Pras said at the parliamentary complex on Monday. He highlighted forest fires in several areas, including West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and particularly the Bromo area in East Java. The government has coordinated across agencies, involving regional military commanders, police chiefs, the Minister of Forestry, provincial governments, and the meteorology agency BMKG to tackle the issue. Prasetyo noted that coordination with BMKG is underway to initiate weather modification operations, though he admitted that such operations are not technically feasible in all areas.

Several regions have been hit by forest and land fires and haze over recent weeks as the dry season and El Niño conditions persist from July into early August 2026. The government has recorded more than 107,000 hectares of land burned across Indonesia as of this month. The El Niño phenomenon is worsening the fire conditions, with six provinces identified as particularly vulnerable: Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.