Politics round-up: from forest fires to additional helicopters

A number of political and government events took place throughout Saturday (22/8), from President Prabowo Subianto leading the handling of forest and land fires (karhutla) in Kalimantan to the addition of water-bombing helicopters.

Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said President Prabowo Subianto departed for Kalimantan to inspect forest and land fire locations while directly leading the handling efforts in several regions. “On Saturday morning, 22 August 2026, President Prabowo flew directly to Kalimantan to check and directly lead the simultaneous handling of forest and land fires in Kalimantan,” Teddy said in a written statement in Jakarta on Saturday.

President Prabowo Subianto visited one of the affected fire locations in Limbung Village, Kubu Raya Regency, West Kalimantan, to see conditions on the ground and ensure firefighting efforts were running optimally. According to the Presidential Secretariat, Prabowo walked through the burned land and observed closely the condition of the affected area and the firefighting process by joint officers.

President Prabowo Subianto asked relevant officials to present the real conditions of forest and land fires in West Kalimantan as a basis for determining handling measures based on the latest situation on the ground. “I came to see the actual local situation. Now I ask who can give me a presentation on the situation,” Prabowo said while chairing a forest and land fire handling meeting in Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan, on Saturday.

Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said President Prabowo Subianto stressed law enforcement against parties proven to have deliberately set forest and land fires in Kalimantan. Prasetyo said law enforcement was one of the points emphasised by Prabowo in two coordination meetings on forest and land fire handling in West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan.

President Prabowo Subianto said he would add four water-bombing helicopters to support the extinguishing of forest and land fires in Central Kalimantan. “We will add four (water-bombing helicopters),” Prabowo said in response to a request from the Head of the Central Kalimantan Regional Disaster Management and Fire Department (BPBPK), Ahmad Toyib, at the Tjilik Riwut Airport Command Post in Palangka Raya on Saturday.