Water Shortages, Strong Winds Hamper Kalimantan Forest Firefighting
Water shortages, difficult terrain and strong winds are hampering firefighting efforts in Kalimantan, Indonesia, during the dry season.
The Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has disclosed several obstacles in combating forest and land fires in Kalimantan. A key concern is the dwindling availability of water sources, according to Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, the Acting Head of the BNPB’s Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center. He explained that the available water is growing scarcer and located farther away from the fire hotspots.
Field complications for ground operations include the absence of access roads to the fire hotspots, rendering the terrain challenging to traverse. Berton emphasized during an online press conference on August 23, 2026, that these circumstances impede both ground and aerial firefighting efforts, as fire trucks and water-carrying helicopters must cover longer distances between water sources and the fires.
As the country is currently in the dry season, water sources are scarce, he noted. Fire suppression relies on water tanks delivered by trucks and water extracted from hydrants. Apart from water source challenges, Berton highlighted that strong winds near the fire locations are complicating firefighting operations. These winds assist in spreading the fire and make it difficult for helicopter pilots to navigate for water-bombing missions, exacerbated by limited visibility.
Berton clarified that helicopter water-bombing is not the main firefighting tactic but rather aids ground operations. He added that the government is currently working to boost the number of water tanker trucks deployed to combat forest and land fires. At present, six priority provinces are designated for controlling forest and land fires: West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Riau, Jambi, and South Sumatra.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
