National Police Chief Investigates Kalimantan Forest Fires: Several Names Already Detained

National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo stated that his party has identified a number of names suspected of being linked to the cause of forest and land fires (Karhutla) in the Kalimantan region.

Sigit said the findings came from investigations and inquiries related to the Karhutla incidents in recent times.

“We are conducting investigations and inquiries related to the events that occurred. Several names have been detained,” he told reporters on Friday (21/8).

On the other hand, the National Police Chief also admitted that he had instructed all ranks to continue extinguishing the forest areas that have caught fire.

“Currently we are carrying out firefighting efforts,” he said.

Forest and land fires have hit a number of areas in Kalimantan and Sumatra. The Environment Ministry has issued urgent instructions for six governors in Sumatra and Kalimantan to tighten handling.

In a statement entitled “Responding to the Decline in Air Quality and the Threat of Forest Fires in the 2026 Dry Season” received in Jakarta on Friday (21/8), Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat focused on protecting public safety in Riau, South Sumatra, Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Jambi, and South Kalimantan in the urgent instruction message.

The strong El Niño phenomenon that has hit Indonesia since July 2026 is considered the main trigger for the surge in forest fire vulnerability, leading to a significant decline in air quality in several of these regions.

The Environment Ministry reported that the latest monitoring data recorded PM2.5 concentrations in Kampar (Riau) reaching 48.84 micrograms per cubic metre, Ogan Ilir (South Sumatra) 47.39 micrograms per cubic metre, Katingan (Central Kalimantan) 30.16 micrograms per cubic metre, Jambi City 26.18 micrograms per cubic metre, Pontianak (West Kalimantan) 26.41 micrograms per cubic metre, and Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan) 17.40 micrograms per cubic metre.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) revealed that the distribution of hotspots in the Kalimantan region was highest in Central Kalimantan with 767 points, followed by West Kalimantan with 560 points, South Kalimantan and East Kalimantan with 74 points each, and North Kalimantan with 3 points.