Govt Deploys 64 Aircraft and 54,394 Personnel for Wildfire Response

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The government has deployed 64 aircraft and 54,394 joint personnel to tackle forest and land fires across Indonesia. The combined aerial and ground operations aim to extinguish the flames, prevent the fires from spreading, and reduce smoke exposure for communities.

“From the air to the ground, all forces are actively engaged. Everything is being done to extinguish the fires, reduce smoke, and most importantly, protect the public from the threat of forest and land fires,” Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said on Sunday, September 20, 2026.

He noted that 64 aircraft have supported water‑bombing operations since August. Of these, 55 belong to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and nine to the Indonesian Military (TNI).

“Since August, 64 aircraft have been deployed for water bombing. They are supported by 54,394 joint personnel working in the field to reach hotspots and prevent the fires from spreading further,” he said.

In addition to aerial operations, tens of thousands of personnel have been deployed to regions affected by the fires. They come from the TNI, the National Police (Polri), the Ministry of Forestry, BNPB, regional disaster mitigation agencies (BPBD), Manggala Agni, volunteers, and local communities.

A total of 14,759 personnel were deployed in West Kalimantan; 14,382 in Riau and the Riau Islands; 11,026 in South Sumatra; 5,984 in Jambi; 4,686 in Central Kalimantan; and 3,557 in South Kalimantan.

Teddy acknowledged that Indonesia’s vast territory and the challenging nature of peatlands pose significant obstacles in managing the fires. Even so, he said firefighting efforts continue through both ground and aerial operations.

“The vast territory and difficult peatland conditions present challenges in handling forest and land fires across Indonesia. Nevertheless, firefighting efforts continue without pause, through both ground and aerial operations,” he said.

Data from the Ministry of Forestry’s Forest and Land Fire Monitoring System (SiPongi)--based on NASA’s Terra/Aqua, SNPP, and NOAA‑20 satellites--show that hotspot activity remains high.

As of Saturday, September 19 at 23:59 p.m. local time, 1,323 high‑confidence hotspots were detected nationwide. The figure increased by 777 compared with the previous day, when 546 hotspots were recorded on Friday, September 18, 2026. (Misni Parjiati)