Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency, BNPB, said it is intensifying cross-agency coordination to deliver a more comprehensive response to forest and land fires in Central Kalimantan Province. BNPB Head Suharyanto said the push for stronger synergy is meant to prevent the fires from spreading further after they scorched thousands of hectares in the province. The agency described Central Kalimantan as a major emergency-response priority because much of its terrain is peatland, which is highly vulnerable to burning.
According to the latest data cited by BNPB, the burned area in Central Kalimantan has reached 3,069.52 hectares. Suharyanto said swift handling of the wildfires follows a direct instruction from President Prabowo Subianto, who called on ministries, agencies, the Indonesian National Army, the National Police, and regional governments to act in unison. Suharyanto said BNPB, as the agency mandated to lead operations during emergency response and preparedness states, is going directly into the field to ensure optimal wildfire handling in Central Kalimantan.
The accelerated measures are also intended to reduce the possible effects of the peak of the El Nino phenomenon, which the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency forecasts will occur between August and September 2026. In response to a potential increase in hot spots, Suharyanto stressed the importance of maximizing joint operations by both land and air task forces. BNPB said weather modification operations will also be strengthened with additional aircraft to optimize rainmaking efforts.
Current air-task-force support in Central Kalimantan consists of two patrol helicopters, three water-bombing helicopters, and one caravan aircraft assigned to weather modification. Suharyanto added that existing potential for rain cloud growth in the region would be fully used before the dry season reaches its peak. BNPB also identified several fire-prone areas that have been prioritized for firefighting, including Tumbang Nusa in Pulang Pisau District and Kameloh Baru in Palangka Raya City.
The operations are being carried out in line with the forest and land fire emergency alert status declared by the Central Kalimantan provincial government, which is in effect from May 26 to October 31, 2026. The ANTARA report was published on July 31, 2026, and included a photo caption describing peatland burning in Kameloh Baru, Palangka Raya City, on July 29, 2026.
Source note
Read the official announcement for the underlying details.