BNPB calls for investigations into suspected illegal fires across South Sumatra

The head of Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Management, Kristomei Sianturi, warned that recent fires in South Sumatra have scorched oil palm estates, industrial timber farms, forest management zones and protected areas, with many hotspots located near conversion-permit borders. He suggested the pattern points to intentional clearing or expansion and called on law-enforcement agencies to investigate both people and firms, emphasizing that severe sanctions are essential to deter future blazes.

Sianturi reiterated President Prabowo Subianto’s directive for integrated action across ministries, agencies and local governments in six priority provinces for forest and peatland fire prevention. He urged the Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency to develop durable peat-land measures, including canal networks to keep soils moist in Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra and three Kalimantan provinces. Ongoing firefighting involves thousands of personnel and helicopters, with regular reviews planned to ensure resources effectively reduce hotspot numbers.