Forest Fires in Syamsudin Noor Airport Ring One Area 80% Controlled
The management of forest and land fires (karhutla) in the ring one area surrounding Syamsudin Noor International Airport, Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, is now considered sufficiently controlled. This success was achieved through the massive deployment of resources, particularly through peatland wetting strategies and the construction of canal blocking in the Liang Anggang Protected Forest area.
The Deputy Coordinating Minister for Food, Hanif Faisol Nurafiq, during an on-site inspection on Saturday (12/9), stated that the intensity of the fires and haze has decreased significantly. Based on reviews over the last 20 days, the handling in this priority area has reached a high level of success.
“We conclude that the forest fires in the airport’s ring one area are about 80 per cent controlled. While fires and haze still occur, the frequency has greatly reduced,” said Hanif while inspecting water availability at the site.
In an effort to wet the land, officers even breached the Jokowi Reservoir to divert water to critical peatland areas. Additionally, the construction of tens of kilometres of canal blocking in Guntung Damar is being accelerated with a budget of Rp9 billion from the Directorate General of Water Resources of the Ministry of Public Works, which also includes the construction of four boreholes.
Hanif emphasised that mitigation must be a priority because damaged peat conditions tend to trigger recurring fires every year. He suggested the use of surfactant solutions as a solution amidst limited water resources.
“The massive deployment of ground task forces is very important and has proven more effective in extinguishing fire spots on the surface as well as beneath the peatland,” Hanable asserted during the South Kalimantan Forest Fire Management Evaluation Coordination Meeting.
The Head of the South Kalimantan Forestry Service, Fatimatuzahra, added that the main focus currently is protecting the 953-hectare Liang Anggang Protected Forest. “Handling within the protected forest area has been successfully controlled. Currently, the remaining fire spots are located outside the protected forest area,” she explained.
Despite the area around the airport being under control, data from the South Kalimantan Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) shows that the fire challenges at the provincial level remain significant. Between 1 January and 10 September 2026, 2,963 fire incidents were recorded, with an estimated burnt area exceeding 20,000 hectares.
The Head of BWS III Kalimantan, Sandi Erryanto, stated that his office is formulating a permanent wetting pattern plan, including the improvement of drainage and regulation ponds, to ensure the airport’s ring one area remains safe from the threat of haze in the future.