January 22, 2026
JAKARTA – Forest and land fires have erupted in several regions across the country despite most areas still being in the peak of the rainy season
In Aceh, authorities are continuing efforts to extinguish fires that broke out last week in several villages in West Aceh regency.
As of Tuesday, at least nine hectares of land had caught ablaze, according to the West Aceh Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD). Flames were still spreading slowly and could expand further due to strong winds at the site.
West Aceh BPBD acting head Teuku Ronald said that smoke from the fires has begun to affect residents’ health, prompting officials to recommend the temporary closure of schools near the affected areas.
“We have advised schools located close to the fire site to suspend activities temporarily as the situation has become concerning,” Ronald said on Tuesday, as quoted by state news agency Antara.
Aside from Aceh, forest and land fires have also been reported in Riau province, specifically in Dumai city and Siak regency.
Since the start of the year, at least 3.2 hectares of land have caught fire in the two areas, although authorities said all fires have since been extinguished.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) detected 190 fire hotspots across Sumatra on Monday, with Aceh recording the highest number at 110, followed by North Sumatra with 43.
Hotspots were also detected in other provinces, including the Bangka Belitung Islands with 13, Bengkulu with eight, the Riau Islands with seven, West Sumatra with five, Riau with three and Jambi with one.
Meanwhile, on Kalimantan island, forest and land fires have dominated disasters reported since the start of the year, with 16 separate incidents recorded.
Indra Wiratama, head of preparedness at the Central Kalimantan BPBD said that at least 20.7 hectares of land in Central Kalimantan have caught ablaze by fires so far this year.
“Rainfall across Central Kalimantan has declined in recent days, leaving much of the province vulnerable to fires. The areas most at risk are the southern parts of the province, such as Palangkaraya, East Kotawaringin, and Sukamara, which are largely made up of peatland,” he said on Monday as quoted by Kompas.com.
BMKG forecaster Muhammad Ihsan Sidik said several areas in Central Kalimantan have recorded temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius in recent days due to a lack of rain-bearing cloud cover.
“The conditions were caused by the formation of a tropical cyclone near the Philippines, which has drawn moisture away from the Kalimantan region,” he said on Monday.
BMKG also warned that declining rainfall has caused peatlands in Central Kalimantan to dry out significantly, including in deeper soil layers, making the land highly sensitive to even the smallest ignition sources.
In West Kalimantan, firefighters are still trying to extinguish forest fires in Kubu Raya regency that have been burning since Friday.
At least 3.5 hectares of land across three locations have burned so far, authorities said.
Firefighters said efforts to contain the fires have been hampered by strong winds, limited water sources near the sites, and peatland conditions that make the blazes difficult to extinguish.
The Kubu Raya administration declared a forest fire emergency on Jan. 14, effective for two weeks.
Elsewhere in West Kalimantan, nearly 30 hectares of land in Selakau Tua regency have caught ablaze after a fire broke out in a production forest area on Sunday. Authorities said the fire has spread close to residential areas and remains difficult to control.
Residents in Pontianak, the provincial capital, have reported a decline in air quality following the fires, with the local administration urging residents to wear masks when venturing outdoors.
BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari urged local authorities and residents to remain vigilant against forest and land fires.
“Fires remain a risk, especially in peatlands and abandoned mineral areas, even though BMKG forecasts that the peak of the rainy season in most regions will continue until February,” he said. (nal)