Indonesia Combats Wildfire Surge While Escalating Wildlife Rescue Operations

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Emergency measures to contain forest and land fires (karhutla) in Indonesia are increasingly focusing on the protection and rescue of imperiled wildlife, as satelitte monitoring detected a sharp national spike in high-confidence fire hotspots.

According to the Ministry of Forestry’s latest disaster impact data released Tuesday, September 29, 2026, as reported on the ministry's website, a total of 254 wild animals has received emergency intervention across the nation so far this year.

The rescued fauna -- including Bornean orangutans, proboscis monkeys, pangolins, slow lorises, leopard cats, silvery langurs, and sun bears -- have suffered severe disruptions to their natural habitats, foraging grounds, and survival routes due to encroaching blazes and seasonal natural disasters.

The ministry's field teams, alongside local conservation agencies (BKSDA), are executing tailored wildlife responses based on field conditions. Measures include emergency evacuations, medical assessments, rehabilitation, translocation, and herd-shepherding to direct vulnerable groups like proboscis monkeys toward safer, unburned canopy corridors.

For species such as the Bornean orangutan, displaced individuals are brought to specialized facilities for treatment before potential release back into secure environments.

The intensified wildlife protection protocols come amid a sharp escalation in satellite-detected thermal anomalies across the archipelago. Data from the ministry’s SiPongi wildfire monitoring system revealed 893 high-confidence hotspots as of Tuesday evening 9.10 p.m. local time -- more than double the 365 spots recorded just 24 hours earlier.

The escalation is most severe in South Sumatra, where high-confidence hotspots jumped from 96 to 266, and Central Kalimantan, which saw an increase from 37 to 132. Jambi (75), West Kalimantan (30), and South Kalimantan (28) also recorded notable spikes, while Riau remained clear of high-confidence spots.

Ministry officials emphasized that satellite hotspots indicate surface thermal anomalies detected by NASA and NOAA satellites rather than confirmed burn acreage, requiring ground-check verification by field crews.

To suppress the expanding flames and protect critical ecosystems, a joint task force comprising Manggala Agni firefighters, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the military (TNI), police (Polri), and local volunteers has mobilized a 61-vessel aviation fleet.

The air support includes 17 units dedicated to reconnaissance and Weather Modification Operations (OMC), alongside 44 heavy water-bombing aircraft, with 55 units stationed across the six priority provinces.

On the ground, crews are conducting direct suppression, firebreak construction, peatland soaking, and mopping-up operations. Subsurface peat fires remain a primary concern, as smoldering embers can persist underground long after surface flames are doused.

While air quality in most regions remains in the good-to-moderate range based on PM2.5 measurements, localized zones in Kalimantan and Sumatra are experiencing unhealthy to hazardous conditions.

Authorities have advised vulnerable populations -- including children, pregnant women, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory conditions -- to limit outdoor activities and use protective masks.

The Ministry of Forestry has issued a strict public appeal urging residents and commercial operators against land clearing using fire. Members of the public who encounter displaced or injured wildlife near residential areas are advised to maintain distance to avoid distressing the animals and to immediately notify local conservation officers. ***