Japan Concludes Forest Fire Suppression Assistance in Kalimantan

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has announced that Japan has concluded its support for forest and land fire (karhutla) suppression. The BNPB stated that the Japanese military provided assistance for a period of two weeks.

The Acting Head of the BNPB Centre for Data, Information, and Disaster Communication, Berton SP Panjaitan, noted that the Japanese assistance ended on Tuesday (29/9). The Japanese military, or Self-Defence Forces (SDF), deployed three CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to conduct water bombing operations.

“This conclusion was decided by the Japanese Minister of Defence, Shinjiro Koizumi, on Tuesday (29/9),” Berton stated in a written release on Wednesday (30/9/2026).

Berton mentioned that Minister Shinjiro assessed that the Japanese military assistance had successfully prevented the forest fires from spreading. During the operation, the three Chinook helicopters conducted 40 aerial missions, dropping more than 220 tonnes of water.

He added that the Japanese Defence Minister believes Indonesia is now capable of managing and controlling the situation independently. The BNPB expressed its appreciation for Japan’s support in assisting with the suppression of peatland fires in the Kalimantan region.

“The operation, part of this aerial task force, began on 16 September 2026. The water bombing was carried out by the Chinook fleet in West Kalimantan, specifically in areas such as Pontianak and Ketapang. This assistance marks the first time the Japanese military has conducted forest fire suppression operations as part of an overseas mission,” he said.