President Prabowo Continues to Strengthen Forest and Land Fire Response in West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan

President Prabowo Subianto, Saturday (08/22), continued his inspection to Central Kalimantan province following his inspection for forest and land fire response in West Kalimantan province. Upon arrival in Palangka Raya city, the Head of State chaired a meeting with relevant officials at Forest and Land Fire Response Command Post, located at the Tjilik Riwut Airport complex, Central Kalimantan province.

Opening the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said that representatives from both central and regional government agencies were present to provide the President with direct updates on the progress of fire response in Central Kalimantan province.

“Following the visit to the command post in West Kalimantan province, here in the frontline command post in Palangka Raya city,  Central Kalimantan province, several officials are present here, including ministers, Army Chief of Staff, National Police Deputy Chief, the Governor, Regional Military Commander, and Central Kalimantan Regional Police Chief. Next, the Head of the Central Kalimantan Regional Agency for Disaster Mitigation (BPBD) will brief the President on the status of forest and land fires in the province,” the Cabinet Secretary stated.

In his report, Ahmad Toyib, Head of the Disaster Mitigation and Firefighting Agency (BPBPK) of Central Kalimantan province, said that between January 1 and August 22, 2026, a total of 19,992 hotspots were recorded in Central Kalimantan province. During the same period, 1,639 fire incidents were reported, with a total land area of ​​4,499.21 hectares addressed.

“This data is based on daily reports from 14 regencies/cities across Central Kalimantan province, which we compile daily at the Task Force’s Operations Control Center of Central Kalimantan Forest and Land Fire,” said Ahmad Toyib.

Meanwhile, satellite analysis by the Ministry of Forestry indicates that the total area where forest and land fires occur in Central Kalimantan province has reached 7,634.46 hectares, ranking ninth highest nationally. Thirteen regencies/cities in Central Kalimantan province have also declared an emergency alert status regarding forest and land fires.

To strengthen on-the-ground response efforts, the Central Kalimantan Forest and Land Fire Task Force has mobilized approximately 10,700 personnel, coming from various agencies and groups, including BPBD, Forestry Office, fire departments, Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), Indonesian National Police (Polri), Manggala Agni (forest fire response brigades), Masyarakat Peduli Api (Fire-Concerned Community groups), and other community-based resources.

Ahmad Toyib also expressed his appreciation for the Central Government’s attention and support in handling forest and land fires in Central Kalimantan. The support, he said, has included direct supervision from various ministries and agencies, as well as the provision of equipment and infrastructure for firefighting operations.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to the President who—through the relevant technical ministries—has provided supervision for forest and land fire mitigation in Central Kalimantan province. This has included visits by the Head of the National Agency for Disaster Mitigation (BNPB), Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Minister of Forestry, and Deputy Coordinating Minister for Food, all of whom have provided supervision and guidance on our mitigation efforts to date,” he stated.

During the meeting, President Prabowo personally inquired about additional needs on the ground. When asked about water-bombing helicopters, Ahmad Toyib reported that four units have already been operational but additional fleet was still required to enhance firefighting effectiveness.

“Mr. President, we would request an addition of two to three units,” he said.

The President also asked about the need for water pumps to bolster ground-based firefighting operations. Responding to the Head of State, Ahmad Toyib noted that Central Kalimantan province still required a significant number of additional units, approximately 100 to 200 units.

Upon hearing these requirements, President Prabowo immediately took steps to follow up, including making a phone call right during the meeting. This action demonstrated the Head of State’s commitment to ensuring that personnel and equipment needs on the ground are met promptly to accelerate the forest and land fires response.

During the meeting, President Prabowo also connected via video conference with officials from the South Kalimantan Provincial Government. Through the connection, the Head of State received a direct report from the South Kalimantan Governor and members of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) regarding the situation and efforts to handle forest and land fires in South Kalimantan region. This step was taken to ensure that the forest and land fires response across various parts of Kalimantan is carried out in an integrated and coordinated manner. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (JAS/AW)