Central Kalimantan Uses Eco-Friendly Surfactant to Fight Land Fires
- 09 Sep 2026 08:53 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Poin Utama
- Central Kalimantan is adopting an ecological approach to forest and land fire suppression using an environmentally friendly surfactant developed by the South Kalimantan Regional Police.
- A field trial at a fire site in Petuk Katimpun, Palangka Raya, used 1,200 liters of water mixed with the surfactant solution.
RRI.CO.ID, Palangka Raya - Forest and land fire suppression in Central Kalimantan is now prioritizing an ecological approach through the use of an environmentally friendly surfactant developed by the Forensics and Laboratory Division (Bidlabfor) of the South Kalimantan Regional Police. The plant-based formulation has proven capable of instantly lowering peat temperatures.
“As we know, fires on peatland often still have smoldering flames beneath the surface. That’s why special measures are needed to ensure underground fires are fully extinguished,” said Central Kalimantan Police, Chief Insp. Gen. Iwan Kurniawan, in Palangka Raya on Tuesday, 8 September 2026.
He said the team conducted a field trial by spraying 1,200 liters of water mixed with the surfactant solution at a forest and land fire site on Jalan Petuk Katimpun, Petuk Katimpun Village, Palangka Raya. Thermal drone checks showed ground temperatures at the location exceeded 100 degrees Celsius before treatment.
“But when we injected the surfactant liquid from South Kalimantan Police, the heat dropped to around 10 to 20 degrees,” he said, as quoted by Antara.
Iwan explained that, in practice, one liter of the Methyl Ester Sulfonate (MES) surfactant, derived from vegetable oil, is mixed with 100 liters of water. The diluted solution is then injected into the peat layer for about one minute. “It only takes a short time; in less than a minute the fire went out and cooled immediately, with temperatures dropping drastically,” he said.
The surfactant’s fast penetration and oxygen-disrupting foam layer help extinguish hidden embers and reduce the risk of re-ignition while using water more efficiently.
Iwan said his office is coordinating with the South Kalimantan Police chief to enable local production of the solution in Central Kalimantan. “Whether we will be trained to produce it ourselves for greater efficiency, or for now we continue to receive assistance from South Kalimantan Regional Police. The key is that we always work together among regional police to support each other in extinguishing karhutla in our respective areas,” he said.
South Kalimantan Regional Police has previously dispatched around one ton of the innovation concentrate to Central Kalimantan to support operations.
Iwan expressed hope that forest and land fires in Central Kalimantan would be fully extinguished soon so residents can resume daily activities without disruption from haze. “Of course, Central Kalimantan Police and all units continue to strive for replanting. On the law enforcement side, we continue to investigate the reports we are currently handling,” he added. ***
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