Antara News·Indonesia·Friday, August 21, 2026 at 09:17 AM

Gov't builds drilled wells to boost forest fire handling in Kalimantan

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Tri Meilani, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is stepping up efforts to tackle forest and land fires in Kalimantan by strengthening integrated operations and developing drilled wells.

An official from the Forestry Ministry said the construction of drilled wells is crucial as surface water sources for firefighting become increasingly limited amid prolonged dry conditions.

"Drilled wells are needed to shorten the distance for water extraction, speed up the refueling of firefighting equipment, and maintain the continuity of wetting and cooling," the ministry's Head of the Bureau of Public Relations and Foreign Cooperation, Ristianto Pribadi, said on Friday.

He also highlighted water availability as a key challenge in tackling forest and land fires on peatlands. Fires can continue smoldering beneath the surface, making them prone to reignition if the affected areas are not thoroughly saturated with water.

For this reason, he said, the government has prioritized firefighting and cooling operations as critical measures to prevent fires from recurring.

He added that the strengthened integrated approach to forest and land fire control involves various government agencies and local communities.

These include the Ministry of Forestry, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), local governments, the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), the military, the police, Manggala Agni, community, volunteers, and business actors.

"Integrated operations to control forest and land fires in Kalimantan continue to be strengthened through cross-sector collaboration, with response measures adjusted based on evolving conditions on the ground," Pribadi remarked.

Data shows that approximately 12,880 joint personnel have been deployed across three priority provinces. Some 1,410 personnel are on duty in West Kalimantan, 10,700 personnel in Central Kalimantan, and 770 personnel in South Kalimantan.

He said officers are closely monitoring hotspots and public reports while carrying out integrated patrols, field inspections, and ground-based firefighting operations. The efforts also involve wetting and cooling affected areas, isolating burned zones, and securing fire-prone areas to prevent fires from reigniting.

Pribadi explained that coordination between these parties is carried out through an integrated command post, serving as a hub for determining locations requiring priority treatment and directing personnel and equipment based on evolving conditions on the ground.

The firefighting operation is supported by a range of equipment, including vehicles, pumps and portable pumps, fire hoses, flexible water tanks, communication equipment, and personal protective gear.

From the air, the operation is reinforced by patrol helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and water-bombing helicopters.

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