Forestry Ministry Steps Up Forest and Land Firefighting in Tanjung Puting
Jakarta (ANTARA) — The Forestry Ministry (Kemenhut) has stepped up efforts to extinguish forest and land fires in Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, and says firefighting helicopters have been sent. However, smoke haze has restricted visibility and hampered operations.
Ristianto Pribadi, head of the ministry’s Bureau of Public Relations and International Cooperation, said in a statement confirmed from Jakarta on Monday that he appreciated the efforts of all officers, volunteers, local residents and other parties working to tackle the fires in Tanjung Puting National Park.
“We understand the difficult conditions faced by teams on the ground, particularly the size of the affected area, the challenges of reaching fire sites and the characteristics of peatland, which make fires difficult to extinguish,” he said.
Regarding aerial firefighting support, or water bombing, the Tanjung Puting National Park Office under the Forestry Ministry formally submitted a request to the Central Kalimantan Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) on 9 September 2026.
One obstacle to aerial firefighting has been thick smoke, which has limited visibility. Ristianto said this had to be taken into account when conducting helicopter operations to ensure flight safety.
“Coordination with relevant agencies is ongoing so that aerial firefighting support can be provided when operational conditions allow,” he said.
The ministry said it had deployed personnel from technical implementation units under the Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation, provided additional budget support, procured firefighting equipment and infrastructure for field operations, and stepped up monitoring and evaluation of fire-control efforts.
Firefighting in Tanjung Puting is being carried out in collaboration with various parties, including government agencies, the Indonesian Military and National Police, local authorities, communities, the private sector, non-governmental organisations and tourism operators in the surrounding area.
“We recognise that tackling fires in peatland ecosystems requires sustained efforts and support from many parties. The Forestry Ministry continues to strengthen its response, prioritising personnel safety, fire control, and the protection of conservation areas and wildlife habitat, particularly that of orangutans in Tanjung Puting National Park,” he said.
Earlier, volunteers from the Kalimantan Green Orangutan Foundation (YOHK) and the Indonesian Tourist Guides Association (HPI), who were working in West Kotawaringin, announced that they were withdrawing from firefighting operations in Tanjung Puting National Park.
In a statement on social media, representatives of the volunteers said they had decided to pull out because they felt their efforts to extinguish the fires had not received adequate support, despite having committed their capabilities to the operation.