Antara News·Indonesia·Monday, August 31, 2026 at 11:42 AM

Indonesia stays alert as forest fire hotspots decline

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Ahmad Rafli Baiduri, Martha Herlinawati Simanjunta

Palembang (ANTARA) - Indonesia is maintaining heightened vigilance against forest and land fires despite a decline in satellite-detected hotspots in several regions, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said in Palembang on Monday.

The decline is a positive development but is not a reason to lower vigilance because the risk of forest and land fires remains, Raja said.

Hotspots have fallen in several areas that previously recorded high numbers after joint firefighting efforts, including Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Riau, Jambi, and South Sumatra.

Central Kalimantan recorded as many as 1,116 hotspots over two days before the number fell to about 300 after joint efforts to tackle the fires, while West Kalimantan saw hotspots decline from about 800 to 400.

Riau reported no hotspots, while Jambi had one hotspot. In South Sumatra, the number fell from 39 to 37, according to the government.

But a decline in hotspots does not mean all fires have ended, particularly in peatland areas, where fires can leave smoldering embers beneath the surface even after visible flames have disappeared.

“Hotspots do not mean there is no smoke because of the nature of peatlands. Even when there is no fire, there can still be smoke,” Raja said.

He said intensive and repeated cooling and wetting operations were needed to ensure embers stored in peat do not reignite.

“If intensive cooling or wetting is not carried out repeatedly, there is a risk of the fire spots returning,” he said.

Meanwhile, Head of the National Disaster Management Agency Suharyanto said satellite-detected hotspots needed to be verified before being classified as fires.

Authorities use various methods for verification, including helicopters and drones, he said.

In South Sumatra, field inspections found that 11 of the 37 high-intensity hotspots detected in the province were confirmed to be actual fire spots.

The government aims to bring all of the verified fire spots under control as soon as possible by deploying firefighting personnel and equipment to the affected areas.

The government is also preparing weather modification operations to take advantage of potential rainfall in early September, alongside firefighting efforts.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), there is potential for rain-producing weather systems from Sept. 1 to Sept. 6, 2026.

The expected rainfall could help extinguish active fires while wetting dry land and reducing the likelihood of embers re-emerging, authorities said.

Suharyanto said the government would continue intensive firefighting operations throughout September.

“We will continue to battle to put out the fires this September,” he said.

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