From extinguishing fires to preventing them from spreading
Amid an increasingly widespread dry season and the strengthening influence of El Niño, forest and land fires (karhutla) in Sumatra and Kalimantan have once again confronted Indonesia with the problem of extinguishing fires.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned that the risk of forest and land fires is increasing as dry conditions dominate most of Indonesia in August. The peak risk is even expected to occur from August to September 2026, especially in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
This situation is the reason why forest and land fire handling needs to move from extinguishing operations to strengthening early detection, personnel deployment, air operations, weather modification, law enforcement, and public education.
Amid this series of efforts, President Prabowo Subianto took a direct role by leading forest and land fire handling from West Kalimantan on 22 August, then reviewing and coordinating handling in Riau and South Sumatra on 24 August.
The President’s presence in the two areas that are focal points for forest and land fires was not merely a field visit. From the instructions delivered, there is a visible effort to build a more integrated handling pattern: fires must be detected as early as possible, immediately approached, extinguished before spreading, while the causes are investigated and the potential for recurrence must continue to be monitored.
One of Prabowo’s important messages in the forest and land fire handling meeting in Palembang was that every hotspot should be dealt with immediately, which shows a shift in emphasis in forest and land fire handling.
The effort is beginning to shift from the number of forces deployed once a fire has spread, towards how quickly the state is able to move from the moment the earliest sign of fire is detected.
Such an approach is already being applied in the field handling system. The National Police said hotspot monitoring is carried out via satellite and public reports, then verified by officers.
If a hotspot is found, personnel together with relevant stakeholders immediately carry out extinguishing and cooling.
The National Police has even set a response target of one to two hours from the moment a satellite detects a hotspot. After the fire is handled and the location is declared safe, an investigation process can be carried out if a suspected criminal offence is found.
Thus, remote sensing technology, public reports, and the capability of personnel in the field form an interconnected chain.
A hotspot does not stop as a point on a monitoring screen. That information must turn into action on the ground. That is where the importance of early response lies.