West Kalimantan Forest Fire Hotspots Exceed 2,610, BNPB Intensifies Weather Modification Operations
Forest and land fires in West Kalimantan have drawn serious attention once again after the number of hotspots surged to over 2,610. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) is optimising weather modification operations to help suppress the spread of fires. BNPB is utilising the potential growth of rain clouds in several parts of West Kalimantan by seeding specific materials so that rain falls more effectively in areas requiring forest fire handling.
Acting Head of the BNPB Data, Information and Disaster Communication Centre, Berton SP Panjaitan, said the presence of potential clouds is an opportunity to accelerate the extinguishing of fire points and hotspots. ‘BNPB is ready to carry out weather modification operations to seed materials to increase the potential for rain in the West Kalimantan region,’ he said in Jakarta on Wednesday, 26 August 2026.
The effort has been underway since Tuesday, 25 August 2026. The air task force, with BNPB support, carried out two flight sorties to seed 2,000 kilogrammes of salt or NaCl. Seeding was conducted over Bengkayang, Landak and Sanggau Regencies. Weather modification operations continued on Wednesday, 26 August 2026. The BNPB Operations Control Centre deployed one flight sortie using a TNI AU Cassa aircraft from Supadio Air Base, Pontianak. This flight targeted Bengkayang and Sambas Regencies. The operation is a collaboration between BNPB, the Ministry of Defence, BMKG and TNI AU.
The acceleration of fire suppression was undertaken after the West Kalimantan Smoke Disaster Handling Post recorded a significant spike in hotspots on Tuesday, 25 August 2026. The number reached more than 2,610 points. Of that figure, 86 points had a high confidence level, 2,447 points had a medium confidence level, and 77 points had a low confidence level.
Forest fire conditions have also begun to affect air quality. Several areas have even entered the unhealthy to very unhealthy categories. BNPB recorded that Jongkat and Sungai Tebelian areas are in the unhealthy category, while Sungai Raya is in the very unhealthy category. Forest and land fires throughout 2026 have also burned large areas of land. Cumulatively, the area of land burned from the beginning of the year until June 2026 reached 38,310.89 hectares.