Antara News·Indonesia·Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 10:44 AM

Three Japanese helicopters join West Kalimantan wildfire fight

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Rendra Oxtora, Yashinta Difa

Pontianak, W. Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Three Japanese heavy-lift CH-47 Chinook helicopters arrived in West Kalimantan on Thursday to bolster emergency aerial firefighting efforts as Indonesia struggles to contain persistent peatland blazes and severe water shortages.

The aircraft arrived aboard the Japanese naval vessel JS Kunisaki, which docked in Mempawah Regency following an 11-day voyage as part of the bilateral Japan-Indonesia Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission.

West Kalimantan Deputy Governor Krisantus Kurniawan welcomed the arrival of the vessel, expressing appreciation for Japan's logistical and military support.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank the Japanese government for sending the vessel, personnel and equipment to assist Indonesia—specifically West Kalimantan," Krisantus said.

The three CH-47 Chinook helicopters will be deployed to support water-bombing operations and transport logistical supplies to remote locations inaccessible by land.

The operational deployment of the helicopters will be coordinated among the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) based on satellite hotspot monitoring.

The aerial reinforcement comes as local emergency responders face severe challenges due to extensive peatlands, where fires frequently spread beneath the surface and remain undetected by ground crews, according to Krisantus.

Compounding the crisis, severe drought has caused local river levels to recede significantly—allowing seawater intrusion that renders surrounding water sources too saline for effective firefighting.

"We are also facing a shortage of water for extinguishing fires, forcing us to source water from locations quite far away," Krisantus noted, stressing that the Chinooks will bridge critical coverage gaps that ground fleets cannot reach.

In tandem with international assistance, the provincial government issued a sharp directive to private corporations operating in the region.

Krisantus reminded private companies holding land use rights (HGU) of their obligation to prevent and control fires within their respective concession areas.

"We expect business operators and HGU holders to step up and help. Do not just stand by and watch,” the deputy governor stated.

"We want everyone to take action and assist the government in tackling these fires," he emphasized, warning that concession holders who fail to maintain their land will face formal regulatory evaluations under central government directives.

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