A combined task force from various units conducted 17 forest and land fire suppression operations in North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan Province, throughout 2026. Head of the Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) for North Penajam Paser Regency, Nurlaila, explained that the total area burnt in the regency from January to July 2026 reached approximately 9.99 hectares, scattered across Penajam, Babulu and Sepaku districts.
According to Nurlaila, the forest and land fires were successfully extinguished by the combined task force as a serious effort to mitigate the smoke hazard that could potentially spread. The North Penajam Paser Regency Government has disseminated information and warnings to the public regarding the potential and impacts of forest and land fires as well as the El Nino weather phenomenon during the dry season.
Based on field monitoring, Nurlaila stated that the forest and land fires were caused by human activity, not natural factors. Communities are taking advantage of the dry season to clear or prepare land by burning, said Nurlaila.
Nurlaila appealed to the public not to clear land through burning given the fairly hot weather with temperatures above normal. The combined task force, consisting of BPBD, the military, police, the Fire and Rescue Service (DPKP) and other elements, is also seeking data on land owners to investigate the cause of the fires.
If the forest and land fires were deliberately set, the residents concerned will be questioned by police authorities.