Indonesia Fires: Prabowo Orders Stronger Response As 72,000 Ha Burned Across Six Provinces
By Nik Nurfaqih Nik Wil
JAKARTA, Sept 7 (NNN) -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has ordered authorities to step up firefighting efforts as they continue to battle forest and land fires across six priority provinces in Sumatra and Kalimantan, with particular attention also directed to a blaze near the Nusantara Capital (IKN) in East Kalimantan.
During a briefing on Monday, Prabowo instructed officials to assess where firefighting assets were most needed and consider deploying additional resources to the fire near IKN to prevent it from spreading towards the capital’s core area.
“The fire near IKN must also be given attention. Perhaps we need to deploy more assets to ensure that the fire does not reach the core area,” he said.
Beyond the immediate response, Prabowo said Indonesia’s handling of the forest and land fires had been extensive despite delays in some areas, which should be evaluated to allow for more anticipatory measures in future operations.
He called for a comprehensive preparedness master plan based on having more resources available before fires occur, including helicopters, water pumps and small excavators in villages traditionally prone to forest and land fires, as well as additional aircraft for weather modification operations.
“We must prepare to deal with and mitigate this. Do not wait for it to happen,” he said, adding that the government should also explore the use of large drones capable of carrying and dropping water in frontline firefighting operations.
National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) chief Suharyanto said 72,009 hectares had been burned across the six priority provinces - West Kalimantan, Riau, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Sumatra and Jambi - with 71,069.65 hectares extinguished and another 939.45 hectares still being tackled as of Monday.
He said West Kalimantan recorded the largest cumulative burned area at about 38,000 hectares, followed by Riau, which had the largest area still under firefighting operations on Monday. About 97 hectares remained under firefighting operations in West Kalimantan.
Outside the six priority provinces, Suharyanto said another 705.1 hectares were affected, including 458 hectares at Bukit Soeharto in the IKN area of East Kalimantan and 223.5 hectares in Teluk Bintuni, West Papua, with smaller fires reported in East and Central Java.
He said 55 aircraft were supporting firefighting operations, comprising 36 for water bombing and 19 for weather modification and patrols, while three additional Chinook helicopters from Japan were expected on Wednesday and would initially be deployed in West Kalimantan.
Meanwhile, National Police Chief Gen Listyo Sigit Prabowo said police were handling 200 reports related to forest and land fires, with 138 suspects identified, including 119 cases involving deliberate burning, while eight corporations were also being investigated.
He said police were conducting further investigations into another 18 companies, while 42 companies had been subjected to administrative sanctions, including the suspension or revocation of permits.
Responding to the enforcement update, Prabowo ordered further investigations into companies linked to land that was rapidly converted into plantations after fires, saying he wanted the names and ownership of the corporations involved identified.
“If necessary, we should immediately revoke all their permits, their land-use rights and so on. This has gone too far,” he said.
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