Jakarta – Forest and land fires continue to affect parts of West Kalimantan, with authorities reporting more than 2,600 hotspots as efforts intensify to contain the fires and prevent them from spreading, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said on Wednesday, August 26.
The West Kalimantan Disaster Management Command Post recorded more than 2,610 hotspots on Tuesday, including 86 classified as high-confidence, 2,447 as medium-confidence and 77 as low-confidence. A total of 64 locations were still showing signs of active fire.
BNPB has deployed weather modification operations to take advantage of the potential for rainfall. On Tuesday, an air task force conducted two sorties, dispersing a total of 2,000 kilograms of sodium chloride (NaCl) over Bengkayang, Landak and Sanggau in West Kalimantan. Another sortie was scheduled for Wednesday over Bengkayang and Sambas.
Rain offers potential boost to firefighting efforts
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) forecast a possibility of light rain in parts of West Kalimantan between August 26 and September 1, providing an opportunity to support firefighting efforts. BNPB said rainfall could help extinguish remaining hotspots and active fires.
Authorities are also deploying helicopters for water bombing and aerial patrols, while more than 2,700 personnel from various agencies are involved in ground operations.
The scale of the fires has also raised concerns over air quality. Daily monitoring showed air quality in Jongkat and Sungai Tebelian in the unhealthy category, while Sungai Raya recorded very unhealthy conditions.
The area burned in West Kalimantan from the beginning of 2026 through June was recorded at 38,310.89 hectares.
BNPB has identified Ketapang, Kubu Raya, Melawi and Kayong Utara as high-priority areas for fire management. Sintang, Sambas, Sekadau, Landak and Bengkayang are classified as areas requiring medium-priority attention.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Forestry said its Manggala Agni firefighting teams in Pontianak have been battling the fires for nearly three weeks. The operation involves 65 Manggala Agni personnel, reinforced by 15 personnel from Sulawesi, working alongside the military, police, BNPB, local fire-watch communities and other groups.
The ministry has also stepped up medical and safety support for firefighters, including health checks, multivitamins, additional nutrition and portable oxygen. Officials said the prolonged operation has exposed personnel to heat, smoke and fatigue as they conduct firefighting, cooling and patrol operations.
Jikalahari criticises Prabowo’s Riau visit
The fire situation is also drawing criticism from environmental groups in neighbouring Riau province. Environmental group Jikalahari criticised President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Riau on Monday, August 24, saying his first visit to the province should have focused on protecting residents affected by haze and strengthening law enforcement against companies linked to forest and land fires.
Jikalahari coordinator Okto Yugo Setiyo said air pollution in Riau had reached “very unhealthy” levels, citing IQAir data that put the air quality index at 256 on August 24. The group also said 376 cases of acute respiratory infections (ISPA) had been recorded in August alone.
According to Jikalahari’s analysis of Suomi NPP-VIIRS satellite data, Riau recorded 4,492 hotspots between January and August 2026, including 1,083 in August. About 74% of the hotspots were located on peatland, while 19.4%, or 875 hotspots, were within company concessions, including industrial timber plantations and oil palm estates.
Field investigations conducted between August 15 and 24 identified approximately 583 hectares of burned land allegedly located within five company concessions, Jikalahari said.
The group urged the president to evaluate the performance of provincial authorities, review concessions where fires have occurred, including permits on peatland, and order law enforcement agencies to take action against companies whose concessions have been affected by fires.
Jikalahari also pointed to cases it reported to the Riau Police in 2025 involving five companies and approximately 179 hectares of burned areas, saying none of the companies had been named suspects to date.
The group said Prabowo’s visit should have demonstrated his government’s stated commitment to preventing and firmly prosecuting environmental pollution, environmental destruction and forest burning, rather than relying solely on reports from officials.
Fire response strengthened in other regions
The continuing situation in West Kalimantan comes as authorities strengthen fire-control measures in other fire-prone areas.
In Jambi, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni on Tuesday, August 25, inspected fire-affected areas in Tanjung Jabung Timur and called for faster responses to hotspots, stronger patrols and closer cooperation between government agencies, security forces, communities and businesses.
Authorities have warned that the threat of further fires remains through September 1 as efforts continue to extinguish active fires and prevent new outbreaks. (nsh)
Banner photo: Ground firefighting operations conducted by a joint task force in West Kalimantan on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Source: BNPB.
