Jakarta (ANTARA) – Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni stressed the importance of sustainable fire management across all sectors, noting that despite a declining trend in national hotspots, Indonesia has not yet fully emerged from the threat of forest and land fires.
“Nationally, I want to report to the Indonesian people that, once again, we are not yet safe from forest and land fires—but the national trend is decreasing and improving,” Raja Juli said in a statement on Monday.
According to daily hotspot trend data recorded across six priority provinces from August 29–30, 2026, Central Kalimantan experienced a 72.4-percent drop in hotspots, decreasing from 1,116 to 308.
West Kalimantan recorded a 49.4-percent decline, falling from 899 to 455 hotspots, while South Kalimantan dropped by 83.3 percent, from 108 to 18. Riau successfully reached zero hotspots, down from three recorded previously.
On the other hand, minor increases were noted in South Sumatra, where hotspots rose from 37 to 39, and in Jambi, which went from one to two.
The minister noted that South Sumatra’s figures fluctuated significantly over a five-day period, recording 62 hotspots on August 26, 157 on August 27, 81 on August 28, 37 on August 29, and 39 on August 30.
Raja Juli cautioned that fewer surface hotspots do not mean the haze issue has ended, particularly in peatland areas where fires can smolder underground without detection.
“By the nature of peat, even when there are no fires, the smoke is always present. If there is no cooling, wetting, or repeated intensive cooling, this area still has the potential to become a fire spot again,” he explained.
National data show that nearly 286,000 hectares of land were burned nationwide from January through late August 2026.
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that more than 48,889 hectares were scorched across the six priority provinces, while the Forestry Ministry’s SIPONGI system tracked more than 1,200 active hotspots at peak points across Kalimantan and Sumatra.
With El Niño fueling dry conditions, Minister Raja Juli Antoni appealed for widespread community involvement to support ground teams, village chiefs, and local authorities in suppressing remaining fire hazards before they spread.
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Translator: Arnidhya Nur Zhafira, Yashinta Difa
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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