Indonesia expands wildfire response to new regions, deploying helicopters and fast-track equipment

The Indonesian National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) announced a broadened campaign to contain forest and land fires beyond the six provinces previously designated as priorities—Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan. Acting head of BNPB’s Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Berton SP Panjaitan, said the move aims to stop fires from spreading as BMKG predicts dense haze.

New operations now cover high-risk areas such as Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park and Mount Butak in East Java, where water-bombing helicopters have been deployed, as well as joint efforts in North Maluku, Central Java, North Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, Lampung and Southeast Sulawesi. BNPB leadership has ordered faster delivery of tools and equipment, ensuring that firefighting gear is not left unused, and is standardising fire-data reporting to distinguish satellite-detected hotspots from real fire locations. The agency also urged residents in affected zones to wear masks outdoors and to refrain from activities like careless cigarette disposal, while reinforcing Presidential Instruction No. 11/2026 that bans land-clearing by burning.