South Sumatra on High Alert for Forest Fires as Dry Season Peaks
The area of forest and land fires in South Sumatra reached 1,926.2 hectares from January to July 2026, a significant jump from the accumulated figure of 664.8 hectares recorded up to June. Ferdian Krisnanto, Head of the Forest and Land Fire Control Unit for the Sumatra Region at the Ministry of Forestry, stated the data was based on satellite imagery analysis conducted in collaboration with the National Research and Innovation Agency. “Of the total burned area, 1,857.7 hectares occurred on mineral soil and 68.5 hectares on peatland,” Ferdian said in Palembang on Friday (14/8/2026).
Data from the Ministry of Forestry’s SiPongi system also recorded an indicative burned area of approximately 1,926.22 hectares in South Sumatra. Nationally, the area affected by forest and land fires from January to June 2026 has exceeded 107,000 hectares, indicating increasing fire pressure ahead of the peak dry season.
Ogan Komering Ulu Regency was the worst affected area in South Sumatra, with 516 hectares burned. It was followed by Banyuasin with 274.4 hectares, consisting of 256.9 hectares of mineral land and 17.5 hectares of peatland. Ogan Ilir recorded 272.5 hectares, Ogan Komering Ilir 230.3 hectares, and Musi Banyuasin 228 hectares, of which 29.1 hectares were on peatland.
Meanwhile, the burned area in Muara Enim reached 141.9 hectares. North Musi Rawas recorded 111.9 hectares, including 19.9 hectares of peatland. In Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir, fires reached 57.4 hectares, with two hectares in peatland areas. Forest and land fires were also recorded in South OKU at 55.2 hectares and East OKU at 23.2 hectares. Prabumulih recorded 7.3 hectares, Lahat six hectares, Palembang 1.5 hectares, and Musi Rawas 0.6 hectares. “Lubuklinggau, Pagar Alam, and Empat Lawang recorded zero burned area,” Ferdian said.
The extent of forest and land fires in South Sumatra up to July 2026 is higher compared to the same period in the previous three years. In 2023, the burned area was recorded at 1,178.5 hectares, then 963.1 hectares in 2024, and increased to 1,382.4 hectares in 2025. However, this year’s figure remains below the record for the same period in 2022, which reached 2,445.7 hectares.