Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) alongside joint task forces has intensified forest and land fire (karhutla) control operations following a sharp surge in high-confidence thermal hotspots, particularly across Kalimantan. The escalated response encompasses rapid field intervention, ground suppression, water-bombing, aerial patrols, peatland rewetting, and Weather Modification Technology (OMC) operations tailored to meteorology.
Satellite monitoring via Kemenhut’s SiPongi system—sourced from NASA Terra/Aqua, SNPP, and NOAA-20—detected 1,437 high-confidence hotspots nationwide as of Monday, September 14, 2026, at 9:05 PM WIB, up from 592 points the previous day. High-confidence hotspots across the six priority provinces were recorded as follows:
- Central Kalimantan: 689 points (up from 89);
- West Kalimantan: 203 points (up from 14);
- South Sumatra: 116 points (up from 49);
- South Kalimantan: 112 points (up from 28);
- Jambi: 9 points (down from 17); and
- Riau: 0 points (remaining clear).
The heavy concentration of hotspots in Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Sumatra, and South Kalimantan has prompted immediate intensification of patrols, ground checks, direct suppression, and aerial support. Conversely, Jambi recorded improved conditions, while Riau logged zero high-confidence hotspots.
The Ministry emphasizes that satellite hotspots represent surface temperature anomalies requiring ground-check verification, as a single fire event can trigger multiple hotspot readings. The hotspot spike occurs amidst dry atmospheric conditions; BMKG forecasts indicate that approximately 81 percent of Indonesia’s Season Zones (ZOM) have entered the dry season, with 1,637 monitoring points experiencing extreme No-Rain Days exceeding 60 consecutive days. Himawari-9 satellite imagery on September 14 detected smoke dispersion across parts of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Maluku, and Papua.
Despite prevailing dry weather, BMKG projects moderate rainfall potential between September 15 and 17 in parts of West and Central Kalimantan, which will be leveraged to support field suppression and rewetting strategies. Field operations continue with Kemenhut’s Manggala Agni firefighters working alongside the Military (TNI), National Police (Polri), BNPB, BMKG, BPBD, local governments, private concessionaires, and volunteer communities to execute direct firefighting, firebreak construction, mopping up, and cooling.
Aerial capacity remains anchored by 53 standby units across the six priority provinces, comprising 34 water-bombing aircraft and 19 units dedicated to aerial patrols and cloud-seeding. Cloud-seeding under OMC operations was executed through September 14 in West and Central Kalimantan to increase soil moisture, with future sorties dependent on cloud availability.
Aerial capabilities have been further bolstered by the Government of Japan through the deployment of three CH-47 Chinook helicopters. On September 13, the Ministry of Defense, TNI, and the Japanese delegation conducted operational coordination at Supadio Air Base in West Kalimantan to integrate flight routes, safety protocols, and command structures into ongoing fire suppression operations.
These measures align with directives from President Prabowo Subianto mandating immediate response to all hotspot detections, expanded public education, and firm law enforcement against intentional land burning, including potential corporate involvement.
Air quality monitoring based on PM2.5 parameters shows varied conditions nationwide; while most regions maintain good to moderate levels, several areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan register unhealthy to very unhealthy ratings, with isolated zones in Kalimantan hitting hazardous levels. BMKG aviation observations recorded hazy conditions and reduced visibility in Pontianak (1.2 km) and Jambi (5 km), while Palangka Raya (9 km), Pekanbaru (7 km), Palembang (10+ km), and Banjarmasin (10+ km) observed clearer skies.
The Ministry of Forestry reminds the public and commercial entities strictly to avoid using fire for land clearing, reiterating President Prabowo’s call for village-level prevention and stern prosecution of arson. (*)
