Forestry Minister maximises weather modification operations to tackle forest fires throughout September
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni has said the government will maximise weather modification operations (OMC), water bombing, and ground task forces to handle forest and land fires (karhutla) throughout September 2026.
According to the Minister, September is a crucial period in tackling forest and land fires across various regions.
“Because in September we are at the peak. Hopefully it will be true that if September already has rain, but from what we heard from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) again, I heard that only in early October will there be potential rain. So this month is our battleground,” said Forestry Minister Raja Antoni in a statement received in Jakarta on Monday.
He further said that OMC is one of the efforts that needs to be maximised as long as there is still an opportunity to carry out such operations.
“Because however, the most effective is indeed OMC, and because we still have a window to carry out OMC,” he added.
Besides OMC, the Minister mentioned water bombing and ground forces as part of the strategy for handling forest and land fires.
The Minister requested that troop deployment be arranged based on locations with many hotspots and that personnel rotation be carried out to maintain the condition of the forces.
“The third is of course the ground forces, the ground task force. I really hope that the deployment can be arranged as optimally as possible in each location with many hotspots, how many times a day they must rotate,” he said again.
Raja Juli Antoni also said the Ministry of Forestry is trying to increase personnel through the operational control assistance (BKO) mechanism.
“Including we at the Ministry of Forestry are trying to carry out BKO of around 1,000 more people, increasing,” he said.
According to him, the arrangement of additional personnel is also important so that they can help the work of the main forces in the field and anticipate fatigue.
“Personnel who do not have special firefighting skills can still help with support work,” he added.