Palangka Raya Firefighters Continue Battling Land Fires
Firefighters in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, are continuing to battle forest and land fires occurring across several areas amid hot and dry weather conditions. Efforts are being made continuously to prevent the fires from spreading.
“Firefighting efforts are being carried out continuously to prevent the fires from spreading, especially at fire points located near residential areas and areas where water sources are difficult to access,” said Hendrikus Satriya Budi, Acting Chief Executive of the Palangka Raya Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), on Saturday (22/8/2026).
He said land fire suppression in the area is carried out every day. Some operations target new fire points, while others are conducted at similar points or on land where fires had previously been extinguished.
He explained that the Palangka Raya BPBD recorded 306 land fire incidents with a total burned area of 264.79 hectares during the period from 1 June to 21 August 2026.
The forest and land fire incidents were spread across several sub-districts, with the highest number occurring in Jekan Raya Sub-district. “During the period from 1 June to 21 August 2026, we recorded 306 forest and land fire incidents with a total burned area of 264.79 hectares. The highest number of incidents occurred in Jekan Raya Sub-district, followed by areas in Sabangau Sub-district,” he said.
According to BPBD data, Jekan Raya Sub-district recorded 204 forest and land fire incidents, followed by Sebangau Sub-district with 69 incidents, Pahandut with 25 incidents and Bukit Batu with eight incidents. Meanwhile, Rakumpit Sub-district has not recorded any forest and land fire incidents.
The Palangka Raya city government has also extended the emergency alert status for land and forest fires by 29 days, from its previous end date of 10 August to 8 September 2026.
Muhammad Heri Pauzi, Head of the Prevention and Preparedness Division at the Palangka Raya BPBD, added that the high number of forest and land fire incidents has forced personnel to increase the intensity of field operations, especially at locations that could potentially endanger residential areas. Firefighters and related agencies are conducting sweeps, suppression and cooling operations to ensure that fire points are completely extinguished and do not reignite.
Dry land conditions and limited water sources pose particular challenges for firefighters. At several locations, personnel must travel considerable distances to obtain water sources that can be used in the suppression process.
The characteristics of peatland also make firefighting time-consuming because fire can spread beneath the soil surface and re-emerge at different points. The BPBD, together with firefighters and volunteers, continues to monitor areas prone to forest and land fires as an anticipatory measure to prevent the fires from spreading.
Heri urged the public to increase vigilance during the dry season and to refrain from activities that could potentially trigger land fires. The public is also asked to report immediately if they discover fire points so that personnel can respond more quickly, preventing fires from developing and causing wider impacts.