House Encourages Early Detection to Prevent Fires in Way Kambas National Park

RRI.CO.ID, Sukadana – Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), Firman Soebagyo, is pushing for a change in the approach to handling forest and land fires in Way Kambas National Park, East Lampung Regency, Lampung. It emphasized on prevention and early detection.

He said controlling forest and land fires should not rely solely on firefighting after a blaze has broken out, but should begin by anticipating the potential for fires before they occur.

"Today, we saw it firsthand. In principle, we have to reverse the approach. Don't 'put out fires after they happen'; 'prevent first'. Because prevention is much cheaper, faster, and saves the lives of wildlife and people,' Firman stressed during the council’s visit to the national park on Thursday, September 3, 2026.

Firman stressed the importance of strengthening prevention efforts because Way Kambas is a conservation area that serves as a habitat for various protected species, including elephants, Sumatran rhinos, and Sumatran tigers. Therefore, the forest and land fire control system must protect the area while preventing fires from threatening the safety of wildlife and communities living around the national park.

He said several lessons from fire management systems in other countries could be adapted to Indonesia’s conditions. In the context of Way Kambas, he emphasized three measures that need to be implemented continuously: preventing fires from the outset, rapidly detecting fire hotspots, and mobilizing resources collectively when a fire occurs.

"The key is just three things: prevent fires first, detect them quickly, and act together. These are what we must immediately implement in Way Kambas," he said, as quoted from dpr.go.id.

To strengthen prevention, Firman, of the Golkar Party, called for increased public education in buffer-zone villages and stronger preventive measures within the national park. For early detection, surveillance cameras and drones could help identify fire hotspots more quickly, allowing immediate action.

In addition to prevention and early detection, Firman urged the national park’s management to ensure that wildlife rescue measures are in place in the event of forest and land fires. They should ensure wildlife evacuation routes, water reservoirs in core zones, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for wildlife rescue as part of fire preparedness.

“Way Kambas is an ASEAN Heritage Park. It is the last refuge for the Sumatran rhino. If Way Kambas burns, we lose a world heritage. The state must be fully present here,” he said.

Firman added that Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) would oversee efforts to strengthen fire-prevention and early-detection facilities and infrastructure at Way Kambas National Park. He said such support must be secured during budget discussions so that forest and land fire management is not merely reactive, but capable of preventing fires from the outset.