Antara News·Indonesia·Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 04:32 AM UTC

Indonesia maps four wildfire fronts in Tanjung Puting

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Prisca TV, Rahmad Nasution

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said authorities had mapped four priority areas for firefighting in Tanjung Puting National Park as they stepped up wildfire suppression.

Raja Juli said thermal-drone mapping identified four priority fronts in Central Kalimantan: Pesalat, Teluk Pulai, the Sungai Buluh Kecil and Besar area, and the Sungai Bawung-Tanjung Rengas area.

“Thermal drones helped us identify four battlegrounds among the many fire hotspots in Tanjung Puting,” Raja Juli said in Pangkalan Bun on Wednesday.

The mapping took place as the Forestry Ministry, local governments, military, police, Manggala Agni firefighters, disaster officials, and volunteers intensified suppression efforts in the conservation area.

After a meeting with officials in Pangkalan Bun, Raja Juli said Pesalat was a priority because it lies close to a feeding area for Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus).

The government plans to add bore wells to prevent the fires from spreading, with mapping indicating that about 30 wells are needed to support firefighting.

About 160 ground personnel will be deployed, while officials are considering heavy machinery to build firebreaks based on local conditions and peat depth.

“The main goal is to keep the fire out of the park's core zone,” he said.

Ground crews will reinforce efforts in Teluk Pulai, Sungai Buluh Kecil and Besar, Sungai Bawung, and Tanjung Rengas. Some will remain in the field for about a week to limit repeat trips.

Raja Juli said government agencies and local communities were continuing to work to contain the fires in Tanjung Puting.

Raja Juli said central and regional authorities, the military, police, Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), and the National Disaster Management Agency would not give up or shirk responsibility.

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