East Kalimantan On Alert After 77 Hotspots Detected

RRI.CO.ID, Samarinda - Regional authorities in East Kalimantan are sounding the alarm over a rising threat of forest and land fires following the detection of 77 hotspots scattered across the province.

The East Kalimantan Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) confirmed on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, that it is shifting into a higher state of readiness to prevent a repeat of previous environmental crises, even as official emergency status remains under provincial review.

The hotspots have been identified in several key areas, including the districts of Paser, West Kutai, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kutai, Berau, and the city of Bontang. While the province is currently awaiting a formal decree to trigger a full-scale hydrometeorological disaster alert, operational teams are already mobilizing to secure vulnerable landscapes, particularly high-risk peatlands that become highly combustible during dry spells.

Coordinator Control and Operations Centerof at East Kalimantan BPBD (Pusdalops), Cahyo Kristanto, remarked in Samarinda that the agency is preparing for the peak of the dry season, forecasted to hit between July and September.

"The alert status is still waiting for the Governor's Decree. The regulation is currently in process, and we hope it will be established in the near future," said Cahyo, as quoted by Antara.

Despite the pending paperwork, the agency has begun auditing essential firefighting equipment, such as water pumps, to ensure rapid field response.

Central to the province's strategy is a multi-sectoral approach that unites local governments, Forest Management Units (KPH), plantation companies, and community-based Fire Care Groups (MPA). Cahyo emphasized that the complexity of the terrain, informed by the high-risk levels recorded in 2023, requires a unified front to be effective.

“Handling forest and land fires cannot be done alone. There must be cooperation from all parties to make it more effective,” he noted.

While some rainfall is still being recorded in parts of the province, the BPBD is issuing a stern warning to residents and land developers regarding traditional clearing methods. Authorities are particularly concerned about the use of fire to open agricultural land, which remains a primary driver of uncontrollable blazes.

“We ask the community to be more vigilant. Do not clear land by burning because the risks are very high,” urged Cahyo, stressing that public caution is the first line of defense in protecting the region's vast ecological assets. ***