Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – Forestry Minister (Menhut) Raja Juli Antoni reaffirmed his commitment to preserving Indonesia’s forests by strengthening the role of Manggala Agni as the frontline force in the prevention and control of forest and land fires (karhutla).
In his remarks at the opening of the Manggala Agni Tactical Response Unit Plus (SMART+) 2025 Training at the Human Resource Development Center (P2SDM) Region III Rumpin, Bogor Regency, on Monday (September 8, 2025), the Minister emphasized that strengthening Manggala Agni’s capacity is not merely training, but a concrete investment in protecting forests, communities, and the environment.
“As the spearhead of wildfire control, the role of Manggala Agni is highly vital. This capacity building is an investment in the nation’s resilience in safeguarding Indonesia’s forests,” stressed Raja Juli Antoni.
According to data from the Ministry of Forestry, from January to the first week of September 2025, there were 2,076 forest and land fire incidents across Indonesia, affecting a total of 213,984.51 hectares. This included 24,211.69 ha of peatland and 189,772.51 ha of mineral land, with the largest affected areas being East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), North Sumatra, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), West Kalimantan, and Riau.
Nevertheless, Raja Antoni confirmed that fires in Riau and West Kalimantan have now been successfully brought under control and entered a transition status, thanks to the synergy of Manggala Agni with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police, along with integrated ground, aerial, and weather modification operations.
“Our national resilience is reflected in the real collaboration between agencies and the extraordinary spirit of our personnel. However, vigilance must not wane,” he added.
Through the SMART+ 2025 training, Manggala Agni is equipped with additional capabilities, including modern firefighting techniques, anti-wildfire patrols, tactical operations management, as well as the use of technology for hotspot detection and coordination through ground–air intelligence. They are also trained to support weather modification operations (WMO) as part of the broader wildfire prevention strategy.
At the close of his remarks, Raja Antoni urged Manggala Agni to remain the resilient spearhead in safeguarding Indonesia’s forests.
“May our hard work bring maximum results and provide real contributions to the preservation of Indonesia’s forests,” he concluded. (*)
