Indonesia ‘stepping up efforts’ to control Kalimantan fires

Indonesia has ramped up its efforts to combat forest and land fires in Kalimantan, which have resulted in smoke pollution affecting neighboring countries, particularly Sarawak. The national disaster management agency has resumed cloud-seeding to bring rain and deployed additional helicopters to support ground firefighting operations.

With over 30 helicopters on standby and ground teams equipped with protective gear, high-pressure water pumps, and up to 100 water tanker trucks per province, officials are optimistic that they can soon bring the fires under control.

Lt Gen Suharyanto, the agency's chief, highlighted the unique challenges posed by the fires, which occur on peatlands and can leave embers buried beneath the surface. Indonesia has been communicating with neighboring countries regarding the potential cross-border impact of the haze, with discussions both informal and formal, led by the foreign minister.

West Kalimantan continues to experience a high number of hotspots, with 3,100 medium-confidence and 406 low-confidence hotspots detected, primarily in the southern and eastern parts of the province. Four corporations in the region are under investigation for suspected violations related to the fires. President Prabowo Subianto's orders have led to the deployment of about 1,500 additional military personnel and six large water-bombing helicopters to bolster firefighting efforts in West Kalimantan.