Forestry Ministry Deploys Hundreds of Manggala Agni Personnel to Tackle Forest Fires in South Kalimantan
The peak of the 2026 dry season, influenced by El Niño, has triggered a high level of vulnerability to forest and land fires (Karhutla) in various regions of Indonesia, including South Kalimantan. The Ministry of Forestry is strengthening Karhutla control in South Kalimantan by deploying hundreds of Manggala Agni personnel across three Operational Areas (Daops): Tanah Bumbu, Banjarbaru, and Tanah Laut.
Based on predictions from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), most of Indonesia has entered the dry season with drier weather conditions due to the influence of El Niño during the 2026–2027 period. National hotspot monitoring through the Forest and Land Fire Control Information System (SIPONGI), based on Terra/Aqua Satellite imagery (NASA) up to 17 July 2026, shows an increase of 166.99 per cent compared to the same period in 2025. This increase in hotspots is an indicator of the rising potential for Karhutla incidents in several Indonesian regions.
The Ministry of Forestry recorded that the national area affected by Karhutla during the January–June 2026 period reached 107,465.47 hectares. The five provinces with the largest burnt areas are West Kalimantan (28,680.47 hectares), Riau (15,477.95 hectares), East Nusa Tenggara (10,538.30 hectares), Maluku (7,091.07 hectares), and South Papua (6,281.81 hectares). In South Kalimantan Province, the area affected by Karhutla during January–June 2026 was recorded at 383.07 hectares, consisting of 29.44 hectares of peatland and 353.63 hectares of mineral land. Additionally, hotspot monitoring with medium to high confidence levels detected 1,770 hotspots spread across several areas.
Director of Forest Fire Control at the Ministry of Forestry, Thomas Nifinluri, stated on Saturday (18/7) that to strengthen the field response, the ministry has deployed 180 Manggala Agni personnel stationed in three Daops: Tanah Bumbu, Banjarbaru, and Tanah Laut. “These personnel carry out routine patrols, hotspot monitoring, early suppression, and public education as part of strengthening prevention efforts,” he said.
Thomas noted that throughout 2026, Manggala Agni, together with various parties in South Kalimantan, has conducted 107 suppression operations, with the total area successfully handled reaching 321.04 hectares. “On 16 July 2026, the team was still conducting two suppression operations in Tanah Bumbu Regency and Banjarbaru City, as well as carrying out ground checks on hotspots in Tanah Laut Regency and Kotabaru Regency,” he added.
The Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, emphasised that in addition to strengthening prevention and suppression efforts on the ground, the Ministry of Forestry is also intensifying law enforcement against perpetrators of forest burning. “Law enforcement is carried out through the application of administrative sanctions for companies that fail to maintain their work areas, civil lawsuits for environmental restoration, and criminal prosecution against individuals or corporations proven to have conducted forest burning,” he stressed. The Ministry of Forestry urges all members of the public to play an active role in preventing forest and land fires by not clearing land using fire and by immediately reporting any indications of fire to the authorities or relevant agencies.