Indonesia steps up ground efforts to tackle six-provinces wildfires - ANTARA News Jawa Timur

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has designated ground firefighting operations as the primary strategy for tackling forest and land fires across six provinces in Kalimantan and Sumatra, prioritized for containment.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) said the central authority has urged regional institutions to intensify ground suppression measures by stepping up supplies and personnel.

A coordination meeting on forest and land fire response on Friday (Aug. 21) concluded that “strict monitoring and oversight at the regional level are crucial to preventing hotspots from escalating and averting broader impacts on the environment.”

As Indonesia faces increased wildfire risks during the dry season, the government has prioritized prevention and containment measures in West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Riau, South Sumatra, and Jambi. These provinces are considered most vulnerable to wildfires.

The National Agency for Disaster Countermeasures (BNPB) has projected that wildfire risks will peak between August and September 2026, warning that haze could cross into neighboring countries as seasonal transition winds incline westward.

“Since Aug. 6, we have witnessed haze crossing Indonesia’s borders with Malaysia,” the agency stated.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) forecasts that Indonesia will continue experiencing the impacts of the El Nino phenomenon through early 2027, extending the dry season.

Regarding weather modification, BNPB declared that such operations remain unfeasible until late August due to the limited availability of rain clouds, prompting authorities to focus on ground and aerial firefighting measures.

For aerial operations, the government has deployed 38 aircraft, including helicopters, to support patrols and water-bombing sorties.

Several units are capable of supporting both firefighting operations and weather modification.

To strengthen forest and land fire prevention, the government has announced plans to revoke regional regulations that still allow land-clearing through burning.

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