INALUM Strengthens Forest and Land Fire Response on Mempawah Peatland
Efforts to control forest and land fires in Mempawah Regency, West Kalimantan, face significant challenges as several hotspots lie within peatland areas. Fires that can spread and persist beneath the surface mean extinguishing work requires repeated sweeping and cooling operations.
The situation has prompted PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Persero), or INALUM, to strengthen its response to the fires around the operational area of PT Borneo Alumina Indonesia (BAI), a subsidiary of INALUM and PT Aneka Tambang (Persero) Tbk (ANTAM).
Since 24 August 2026, INALUM and BAI, together with the regional government, BNPB/BPBD, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the National Police, fire services, volunteers and local communities, have been carrying out control and extinguishing operations at a number of hotspots.
To reinforce the response in the field, INALUM, together with the MIND ID Group, deployed 60 certified firefighting personnel on Friday (4 September 2026). The personnel are drawn from INALUM, ANTAM, PT Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk, PT Timah (Persero) Tbk, PT Freeport Indonesia and PT Vale Indonesia Tbk.
Maroef Sjamsoeddin, President Director of PT Mineral Industri Indonesia (MIND ID), helped coordinate the deployment and inspected areas affected by the fires in Mempawah.
Maroef said tackling the fires requires care and collaboration from many parties. He added that the involvement of INALUM and the MIND ID Group is aimed at strengthening control of the hotspots while helping to reduce the impact of the fires on local communities.
“This step reflects our concern for the environment and the community. The presence of MIND ID Group volunteers is part of a joint effort to accelerate control of the hotspots while helping to reduce the health risks and disruption to daily activities faced by communities,” he said during a visit to the affected area in Mempawah on Friday (4 September 2026).
Beyond personnel deployment, INALUM is strengthening its support through the provision of firefighting equipment, safety gear and medical support for volunteers and affected communities.
The support includes emergency health facilities and personal protective equipment. PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Persero), or Pelindo, has also added a fire engine to bolster firefighting operations at the site.
INALUM President Director Melati Sarnita said the company pays close attention to environmental and community conditions around its operational areas. For this reason, when emergency situations such as forest and land fires arise, INALUM seeks to strengthen its response alongside parties with the relevant competence and authority.
“For INALUM, the company’s presence must bring benefits and a sense of security to surrounding communities. So when there is an emergency such as this, we move together with all parties who have the competence and authority to help handle it,” Melati said.
According to Melati, collaboration is needed so that the response can be carried out swiftly while limiting the risk of the fires spreading to wider areas.
Meanwhile, BAI President Director Darwin Saleh Siregar explained that the character of peatland is one of the factors making the extinguishing process a lengthy one.
“Fire in peatland can spread and persist beneath the surface even when the flames above ground have been extinguished. This means the process takes longer, requires an adequate supply of water, and demands repeated sweeping and cooling to ensure the fire is truly out and does not re-emerge,” Darwin said.
BAI, which operates the smelter grade alumina refinery (SGAR) and its supporting facilities, is located within one of the operational areas that is a focus of the strengthened fire response.
INALUM said the intensified response is aimed not only at extinguishing hotspots, but also at preventing the fires from spreading and improving preparedness for potential future outbreaks.
The efforts are being carried out through synergy with the regional government, security forces, fire services, volunteers and communities. Such collaborative measures are considered essential given that peatland requires continuous monitoring and treatment even after surface fires have been successfully extinguished.