Prabowo Heads to Kalimantan to Oversee Wildfire Response

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto departed from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base on Saturday morning, August 22, 2026, heading to Kalimantan to directly oversee integrated emergency containment operations targeting widespread forest and land fires (karhutla).

To accelerate field response across four heavily affected provinces on the island, President Prabowo Subianto implemented a joint operational division among top state security leads. In West Kalimantan, containment operations are headed by TNI Commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto and National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, while Army Chief of Staff Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak and Deputy National Police Chief Comr. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo lead the task force in Central Kalimantan.

Meanwhile, Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Muhammad Ali and Head of Police Operations Comr. Gen. Muhammad Fadil Imran have been assigned to handle operations in South Kalimantan. Finally, containment efforts in East Kalimantan are directed by Deputy TNI Commander Gen. Tandyo Budi Revita and Brimob Commander Comr. Gen. Ramdani Hidayat.

The administration emphasized that emergency response units must act swiftly to suppress active hotspots and clear smoke hazards so affected local communities can safely resume daily activities. In addition to physical firefighting and aerial suppression, the president ordered strict legal enforcement and prosecution against individuals or corporate entities found violating land-clearing laws.

Cabinet leadership emphasized that synchronizing military, police, and regional government efforts remains essential to containing fire spreads and holding illegal land burners accountable. Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya outlined the administration's strategic imperatives for the regional deployment.

"President Prabowo flew directly to Kalimantan on Saturday morning to inspect and lead simultaneous karhutla suppression efforts, the division of task forces ensures field operations move faster, in an integrated, and coordinated manner across all four provinces," he said in Jakarta on Saturday, August 22, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

He reaffirmed that legal measures will accompany field containment operations. "The President instructed all joint personnel to act as swiftly and optimally as possible so residents can return to normal life, He also ordered firm legal sanctions against any law violations discovered during these fire incidents," Teddy added. ***