Forestry Ministry Remains Alert as Wildfire Hotspots Rise

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's Forestry Ministry remains on full alert as wildfire hotspots rise. According to the Ministry's data, National hotspots reached 20,378 as of 29 August 2026,

In a written statement on Sunday, August 30, 2026, the Ministry reported four priority provinces recorded declining hotspots despite the national increase. South Kalimantan fell 487 hotspots, while South Sumatra dropped 228.

Riau and Jambi also recorded smaller declines during the same period. Meanwhile, Central Kalimantan hotspots rose to 8,488, up from 7,703.

West Kalimantan nearly doubled, reaching 6,526 from 3,384 hotspots. Rain in parts of Riau supported control efforts, though coverage remained uneven.

The Ministry and joint teams continued patrols, groundchecks, and firefighting operations. Efforts also included firebreaks, mopping up, cooling, and monitoring re-ignition risks.

By August 29, authorities recorded 112 wildfire and groundcheck reports across eleven provinces. Forty-seven incidents were extinguished, while 65 remained under firefighting operations.

Air quality also varied across the six priority provinces during monitoring. West and Central Kalimantan recorded hazardous conditions at several monitoring points.

Visibility also remained reduced, with several provincial capitals reporting smoky conditions. Pontianak, Banjarmasin, and Jambi recorded visibility below one kilometer that morning.

The Ministry affirmed, “Hotspots are indicators of surface temperature anomalies detected by satellites.” Authorities stressed that every indication still requires ground verification and field monitoring.