Antara News·Indonesia·Friday, August 21, 2026 at 09:56 AM

Indonesian police step up crackdown on forest, land fires

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Rendhik A, Rahmad Nasution

Palangka Raya, C Kalimantan (ANTARA) - West Kotawaringin District Police in Central Kalimantan have vowed to crack down on forest and land burning during the dry season, warning that fires could trigger widespread haze.

“Prevention is the best solution. We use community welfare, environmental, and legal approaches, prioritizing persuasion while taking firm action against violations,” West Kotawaringin Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Joko Handono said in Pangkalan Bun on Friday.

He said forest and land fires in the area have often been deliberately set, prompting police to coordinate with local authorities and conduct on-site investigations.

“We must deter people from burning land. We analyze investigation data and follow up on the findings,” he said.

The Central Kalimantan Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency forecasts that the province, including West Kotawaringin, will remain in the dry season for several months from June onward.

Police recently arrested a 64-year-old suspect accused of starting a fire that burned about 71 hectares in Kumai Subdistrict, Joko said.

“The suspect’s actions caused about 71 hectares to burn, from Candi Village to Sungai Tendang Village in Kumai Subdistrict,” he said.

The fire occurred in early August at about 1 p.m. local time, starting on Padat Karya I Road in Candi Village.

Police first received reports through a Kumai police WhatsApp group. A joint team comprising military personnel, police officers, disaster officials, firefighters, and volunteers then went to the site.

“The burned area consisted of shrubs and peat soil. Investigators traced the fire to plantation land managed by suspect S,” he said.

After identifying the suspect, investigators searched for him and arrested S on Aug. 10 at the Bumi Permata Indah housing complex in Batu Belaman Village.

Joko said firefighting was still underway when S was arrested because the fire had not been fully extinguished. Police also seized several items linked to the incident.

The evidence included plastic bags containing wood branches, peat soil, and ash; a burned shade net; three motorcycle inner tubes; a sprayer; herbicide; a sarong; and matches.

The suspect faces charges under Indonesia’s environmental protection law and the 2023 Criminal Code, as amended by the 2026 criminal-offense adjustment law.

“The suspect faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp10 billion (US$566,000), with a minimum fine of Rp3 billion (US$170,000),” Joko said.

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