Forest Fires Near IKN: Allegations of Arson for Palm Oil Expansion
A forest and land fire (karhutla) has occurred on private land, located only about 20 metres from the Samboja Special Purpose Forest Area (KHDTK) in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan. The land is suspected to have been intentionally burned to facilitate the opening of palm oil plantations.
The Manager of KHDTK Samboja, Nanang Riana, stated that the fire occurred in Sungai Merdeka, West Samboja District, on Tuesday (1/9/2026). Initial information was received from local residents around 3:00 PM WITA, who observed smoke rising from one of the plantations.
“Yesterday around 3:00 PM, I received information from residents regarding smoke in Mr Sayuti’s plantation. I then followed up by going to the field to verify the situation,” said Nanang.
Upon arriving at the location, Nanang found flames spreading across three different points. One of the fire points was extremely close to the boundary of the KHDTK, prompting immediate coordination for fire suppression.
“It turned out there were multiple fire points, spread across three locations. One of them bordered the Special Purpose Forest Area (KHDTK). Therefore, I coordinated with the PPI Jejak Pulang team to manage the fire,” he explained.
Suspicions of arson arose after an inspection of the land. In addition to finding palm oil stakes or markers driven into the ground, Nanang observed that materials at the site had been gathered and piled up. According to him, this is a typical pattern for land clearing via burning.
“I was suspicious from the moment I saw the fire. This was not a spontaneous fire; it was certainly intentional. The location had been prepared for burning, with materials piled up for that purpose,” he said.
Nanang noted that the burnt land is privately owned and used for plantations. He stated that the pattern of clearing vegetation by piling it up and then burning it is commonly found in land opening operations.
“Yes, it was burning. Palm oil sites are usually like that. For clearing, the vegetation is piled up and then burned,” he revealed.
The fire was situated approximately 20 metres from the KHDTK Samboja boundary. About one hectare of land in the vicinity was burnt, but the fire was successfully contained before it could enter the KHDTK area.
It is noted that Samboja itself falls within the New Capital City (IKN) zone.
Nanang mentioned that the KHDTK Samboja covers an area of 3,517.53 hectares. The area serves as a habitat for various wildlife, including clouded leopards, bears, langurs, long-tailed macaques, and pangolins.
“Regarding wildlife, the most notable are the clouded leopards and bears that have been spotted. There are also langurs, long-tailed macaques, pangolins, and many snakes,” he said.
In addition to the forest fires, Nanang also highlighted the issue of land grabbing around the area. He noted that pressure on land has intensified since the designation of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN).
“It is very high. Ever since IKN was first designated, everyone is attempting to claim land,” he remarked.