Jambi Governor: 80 Per Cent of Forest Fires Suspected to be Intentional

Jambi Governor Al Haris has revealed shocking facts regarding the phenomenon of forest and land fires (karhutla) in his region. Based on law enforcement (Gakkum) reports, as many as 80 per cent of the total land fire incidents are strongly suspected to be caused by intentional acts by irresponsible parties.

“Based on Gakkum reports, 80 per cent of the burnt land was intentionally set on fire by certain individuals, while the remaining 20 per cent resulted from other triggers such as extreme heat,” Al Haris stated in Jambi on Monday (14/9).

In response to the high rate of intentional fires, the police have followed up on 75 forest fire cases. Al Haris detailed the legal progress of these dozens of cases.

Official data from the Forest Fire Task Force (Satgas Karhutla) records that from 1 January to 13 September 2026, the total area of burnt land in Jambi Province has reached 2,975.97 hectares.

Based on recent monitoring, 134 hotspots have been detected, with four main fire spots identified as priorities for firefighting. These locations are spread across various areas.

To tackle the spread of the fire, the Forest Fire Task Force has deployed full strength via land and air routes. Four water bombing helicopter units have been operated to reach fire spots in difficult terrain.

In addition to physical firefighting, the government is also pursuing Weather Modification Operations (OMC). The air task force has recorded 41 sorties of salt seeding to induce artificial rain. The most recent seeding was conducted on 10 September and will continue according to BMKG directions regarding potential rain clouds.

Previously, Jambi Province was reported to have received an allocation of Rp30 billion specifically to strengthen forest fire management and prevent the expansion of fire in protected forest areas such as Tahura.

The thick haze from the forest fires caused five flights at Sultan Thaha Jambi Airport to experience delays on Monday (14/9), as visibility dropped to 1,100 metres.