West Kalimantan Activates Fire Command Centers Amid El Niño

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is intensifying its response to the rising frequency of hotspots and forest and land fires across West Kalimantan. In light of this, the Ministry of Forestry has initiated strategic measures following the 2026 Eid al-Fitr period, specifically targeting the potential threats posed by the "Godzilla El Niño" phenomenon.

To mitigate the risk of widespread fires, the Director General of Law Enforcement (Gakkum) and the Kalimantan Forest Fire Control Agency have strengthened field supervision. This includes the activation of Forest Fire Control Command Centers within the Ministry’s Technical Implementation Units (UPT) throughout West Kalimantan.

"This step is a critical component of our integrated preparedness to face a potential surge in forest fires. It also follows up on the West Kalimantan Governor’s Decree No. 97/BPBD/2026, which declares an Emergency Alert status for smoke haze disasters caused by land fires," remarked Chief Forest Police Specialist, Sustyo Iriyono, on Sunday, April 5, 2026.

Between January and March 2026, the number of hotspots in West Kalimantan showed a significant upward trend. As of March 31, 2026, a total of 7,883 hotspots were recorded.

Fire suppression efforts have successfully extinguished blazes covering a total of 479.12 hectares. The largest distribution of these incidents was recorded in Kubu Raya, Sambas, Ketapang, Mempawah, and Singkawang.

A total of 13 Manggala Agni, a fire brigades, approximately 195 personnel, have been deployed to the affected areas. The current situation underscores the urgent need for enhanced early detection, personnel readiness, and cross-sector coordination.

"Surveillance is the key, not only in field suppression but in ensuring consistent control and anticipatory measures are functioning correctly. This allows potential fires to be detected sooner and handled more effectively," added Sustyo.

Head of the Kalimantan Forest Fire Control Agency, Yudho S. Mustiko, noted that West Kalimantan remains a high-vulnerability zone. Consequently, activating command centers is a vital move to bolster early detection systems, accelerate field response, and improve inter-agency coordination.

These command centers manage various operations, ranging from integrated patrols in high-risk areas to intensive hotspot monitoring. They also focus on the readiness of personnel and equipment, as well as strengthening rapid reporting systems among the various UPTs.

Furthermore, public outreach remains a priority, specifically to remind residents not to use fire for land clearing. All stakeholders are urged to remain vigilant to ensure any fire threat is addressed in its early stages.

"Community participation is essential, particularly in refraining from burning land and immediately reporting any signs of fire," said Yudho.

The activation of these command centers is expected to fortify prevention efforts at the start of the dry season. This initiative aims to suppress the impact of forest fires and prevent the risk of transboundary haze. (Annaila Azzahra/Bambang MBKA)