Government Strengthens Strategy to Stop Wildfires from Spreading

The government is pursuing various strategies to tackle forest and land fires in Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan. One measure is to use heavy machinery to cut off the advancing fire front and prevent the blaze from spreading.

The strategy involves blocking the fire’s path rather than merely extinguishing hotspots that have already emerged. The government also plans to add four or five excavators to strengthen efforts to create firebreaks in areas along the fire’s route.

“We are trying to cut off the fire front. We can do that by moving quickly with heavy machinery to prevent even greater harm,” Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said, according to a written statement on Tuesday (13 October).

In addition to the extra machinery, the government is preparing around 30 boreholes to support firefighting. They will be located about 50 metres apart near the fire front to help crews wet the ground and extinguish the flames.

Raja Juli said the strategy requires personnel to confront the advancing fire directly, with significant risks.

“So we are no longer chasing the fire; we are facing it, and the risks are not insignificant,” he said.

Raja Juli also said the central and regional governments were continuing their efforts to tackle fires that have left communities affected by smoke for several months.

He said the response involved a range of agencies, including regional administrations, the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police, Manggala Agni firefighters and the Ministry of Forestry.

“We have absolutely not washed our hands of this. You can see for yourselves in the field: the governor, the mayor, the TNI and police, Manggala Agni and the Ministry of Forestry. Look at their eyes—they are red, they are tired, but this is their duty, so they remain in the field doing real, concrete work,” he said.

Alongside ground operations, the government is relying on weather modification operations and water-bombing missions, in which helicopters drop water on the fires.

Water-bombing operations are still facing visibility problems that affect helicopter flights. Weather modification, meanwhile, continues whenever suitable cloud formations are available for seeding to help wet affected areas.

The government is also continuing to reinforce ground personnel and equipment so that its response can adapt to changing fire conditions.

The strategy of cutting off the fire front, adding excavators and constructing boreholes forms part of efforts to stop the flames spreading further and reduce the impact of the fires in Sebangau National Park.