Government Deploys 64 Aircraft to Tackle Forest and Land Fires

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian government has deployed 64 aircraft and 54,394 joint personnel to tackle forest and land fires across several parts of the country since August 2026. Cabinet Secretary, Teddy Indra Wijaya, said firefighting operations are being carried out both on the ground and from the air to extinguish fires, prevent them from spreading, and reduce the impact of smoke on communities.

“Since August, 64 aircraft have been deployed to conduct water-bombing operations, supported by 54,394 joint personnel who continue to work in the field, reaching fire hotspots and preventing the fires from spreading further,” Teddy said in a written statement posted on Sunday, September 20, 2026.

Of the 64 aircraft deployed, 55 belong to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), while the remaining nine are operated by the Indonesian Military (TNI). All of the aircraft are being used to support firefighting operations through water bombing.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of joint personnel continue to work on the ground. They include personnel from the TNI, National Police, Ministry of Forestry, BNPB, Regional Disaster Management Agencies (BPBD), Manggala Agni firefighting teams, volunteers, and local communities.

Teddy said Indonesia’s vast territory and challenging peatland conditions pose significant challenges to efforts to tackle forest and land fires in several areas. Despite these challenges, the government continues to conduct firefighting operations on the ground and from the air.

“The vast size of the affected areas and challenging peatland conditions pose challenges in tackling forest and land fires across Indonesia. However, firefighting efforts continue around the clock through both ground and aerial operations,” he said.

The government said all available resources will continue to be mobilized to extinguish the fires, reduce the impact of smoke, and protect communities from the threat of forest and land fires.