Wildfire-Fighting Officer in North Toraja Dies After Being Struck by Falling Tree

Manggala Agni officer Padayya, 45, died while on duty fighting a forest and land fire in North Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi. He was killed after being struck by a falling tree near the fire site.

The incident took place in the protected forest area of Lembang Nanna, Nanggala District, at about 8.50pm local time on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. Kasman, head of the South Sulawesi Environmental and Forestry Office, confirmed the officer’s death.

“His status was as a government contract employee with Manggala Agni at the Saddang II Forest Management Unit Technical Implementation Unit in North Toraja Regency, under the South Sulawesi provincial government’s Environmental and Forestry Office,” Kasman said, as quoted by detikSulsel on Friday, 30 October.

Kasman said the fire in the protected forest had been burning since Monday, 19 October. It had still not been extinguished when the incident occurred, despite the involvement of a number of joint response teams.

“It has still not been possible to extinguish it. A joint team from the Saddang II Forest Management Unit, the Ministry of Forestry’s Forest and Land Fire Control Centre, the Indonesian Military and the National Police has made efforts to put it out,” he said.

Padayya was one of the officers deployed in the firefighting operation. At the time of the incident, he was resting on Karre Main Road, not far from the fire.

“While resting in the middle of Karre Main Road during the forest and land fire response, a tree suddenly fell,” Kasman said.

After being struck by the tree, Padayya was evacuated to Nanggala Community Health Centre for medical treatment. He was then referred to Elim Rantepao Hospital, but could not be saved.