Forestry Ministry and Central Java Deploy 500 Personnel Ahead of 2026 Dry Season Peak
The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) together with the Central Java Provincial Government has placed more than 500 joint personnel on standby to anticipate forest and land fires (karhutla) during the peak of the 2026 dry season. The readiness was marked by the 2026 Forest and Land Fire Control Preparedness Parade held at the Indra Prastha Campground, Boyolali Regency, Central Java, on Wednesday (24/6). The parade involved various elements, ranging from central and regional governments, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Perum Perhutani, Manggala Agni, Fire Care Communities (MPA), social forestry groups, conservation cadres, nature-loving students, Saka Wanabakti Scouts, academics, to communities living around forests.
Head of the Central Java Environment and Forestry Service, Heru Djatmika, stated that all parties must act from the prevention stage, especially in fire-prone areas and zones surrounding forests. “Central Java must be ready before fires appear. This parade is a sign that all elements must now be in motion, from regional governments, the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Environment, Perhutani, the TNI, Polri, BPBD, Manggala Agni, MPA, to communities around the forest. What we are building is not just a parade line, but readiness for field work,” he said.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicts the peak of this year’s dry season will occur from July to September. The experience of El Niño in 2023, which caused forest and land fires covering 9,965.59 hectares in Central Java, is also a consideration for strengthening early anticipatory measures. Director of Forest Fire Control at the Ministry of Forestry, Thomas Nifinluri, emphasised that early detection and rapid response are the main keys to controlling forest and land fires. “The key to controlling karhutla lies in early prevention. Manggala Agni together with MPA are strengthening patrols, monitoring hotspots, readiness of facilities and infrastructure, and initial response. Small fires must be quickly detected, quickly reported, and quickly handled before they become large fires,” said Thomas.
According to him, the impact of forest and land fires not only damages vegetation but also disrupts public health, degrades air quality, threatens water sources, damages ecosystems, and causes social and economic losses. Therefore, controlling karhutla must be carried out collaboratively by involving communities living and active around forest areas. Regional Inspector I of the Ministry of Forestry and Chair of the 2026 Forest Fire Control Supervisory Task Force Assistance Team for Central Java, East Java, and Yogyakarta Special Region, Sultrarini Rahayu, stressed the importance of multi-party synergy in efforts to control forest and land fires. She said that forest and land fire control activities cannot be carried out solely by the Ministry of Forestry, but require the support of regional governments, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the TNI, Polri, Fire Care Communities, communities around forests, and various other related parties.
As part of the parade, the Forest Fire Control Centre for Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara (Dalkarhut Jabalnusra) together with Manggala Agni and MPA also held a simulation of forest fire suppression and a check of fire control facilities and infrastructure. Head of Dalkarhut Jabalnusra, Bambang Setyo Antoko, said prevention measures in Central Java continue to be strengthened through patrols, MPA development, human resource capacity building, hotspot monitoring, and coordination with regional governments and stakeholders at the site level. The Ministry of Forestry urged the public not to clear land by burning, not to burn rubbish around forest areas, and to immediately report any indications of fire hotspots. According to the Ministry, personnel readiness, speed of information, initial response, and public awareness are important factors in protecting forests, water sources, air quality, and residents’ safety during the peak of the dry season.