South Kalimantan Forest Fires Spread to Sultan Adam Forest Park, Mandiangin Tourism Closed
Forest and land fires in South Kalimantan Province are spreading further, reaching the Sultan Adam Grand Forest Park conservation area in Banjar Regency. To anticipate risks to visitors, the Sultan Adam Forest Park technical implementation unit has officially closed the Mandiangin tourist area since early August 2026.
Head of the South Kalimantan Regional Disaster Management Agency, Ronny Eka Saputra, explained that extremely dry air conditions during the dry season have triggered an increase in fire vulnerability. Several hotspots have been reported emerging within the Sultan Adam Forest Park area.
“Forest and land fires continue because dry air conditions during the dry season increase fire vulnerability. Currently several fire incidents are occurring in the Sultan Adam Forest Park area,” Ronny said on the sidelines of the 81st Independence Day commemoration ceremony in Banjarbaru on Monday.
Although the fire has entered the forest park area, Ronny said the impact so far remains under control. The burned area is estimated at less than 100 hectares. However, personnel alertness is being increased to prevent the fire from spreading to the core zone of the forest park.
As a safety measure and to make firefighting efforts more effective on the ground, the Sultan Adam Forest Park technical implementation unit has decided to completely close Mandiangin tourist access to the public. The closure has been in effect since 6 August 2026 until an unspecified date.
Sultan Adam Forest Park is a leading nature tourism destination managed by the South Kalimantan Provincial Forestry Service. In addition to the tourist area, the disaster agency recorded that forest and land fires have also hit peatlands around Syamsudin Noor International Airport, which falls within the first security ring zone.
To date, the total area of forest and land burned in South Kalimantan is reported to have reached nearly 3,500 hectares. The worst-affected areas include Banjar Regency, Tanah Laut Regency, and Banjarbaru City.
Based on field observations, smoke haze has begun to blanket several areas, especially around Syamsudin Noor Airport over the past three days. Nevertheless, airport authorities have confirmed that flight operations have not been disrupted.
Stakeholders Relation Manager of PT Angkasa Pura I Syamsudin Noor Airport, Ahmad Zulfian Noor, stated that visibility remains within safe limits for aircraft activity.
“There is indeed smoke haze, but it does not interfere with visibility so flight activities are running normally,” Zulfian said when met during the Independence Day commemoration at the airport terminal.
Every dry season, the 112,000-hectare Sultan Adam Forest Park area frequently burns, whether due to intentional factors or natural causes from extreme hot weather.
Sultan Adam Forest Park is an ecotourism area spanning 112,000 hectares across two regencies in South Kalimantan, namely Banjar and Tanah Laut.
Peatland fires west of Syamsudin Noor Airport in Gambut District, Banjar Regency are also still ongoing. The fire area has not reached standing forest areas or reforestation zones.