President Prabowo Calls for Stronger Firefighting Efforts as Forest, Land Fires Continue

President Prabowo Subianto chaired a limited meeting on forest and land fire responses via videoconference from Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday (10/12).

The governors of South Sumatra and Central Kalimantan, along with the respective regional military commanders and police chiefs, also attended.

During the meeting, officials reported on the latest developments and firefighting efforts. According to Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto, approximately 639 hectares of land across the six worst-affected provinces were still undergoing firefighting operations.

“Currently, the main focus is on two provinces, namely Central Kalimantan and South Sumatra,” Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said in a written statement.

In addition, the Cabinet Secretary said, ground operations are supported by more than 60,177 personnel from various agencies, with an average success rate of over 80 percent in extinguishing fires across areas newly affected each day. Aerial operations are also being carried out to accelerate firefighting efforts.

“Water-bombing operations are underway in several areas to help extinguish the fires faster,” he added.

The Cabinet Secretary stated that conditions had improved in Riau, West Kalimantan, Jambi, and South Kalimantan provinces. Weather modification operations are also being intensified to leverage developing rainclouds, as the rainy season is expected to begin more widely across the country in mid-to-late October 2026.

“The President has called for stronger efforts to tackle forest and land fires, demanding that all available resources be optimally deployed to accelerate firefighting operations and prevent the fires from spreading,” he concluded. (BPMI) (FI/MMB)