Indonesia’s military has deployed 14,167 personnel to assist in fighting forest and land fires across the nation, according to a press release issued by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). The operation includes firefighting, patrols, surveillance, and preventive measures tailored to local conditions. Soldiers are working alongside the National Police, the Forestry Ministry’s firefighting units, regional governments, and disaster mitigation agencies. The TNI has prepared its regional units to respond quickly to any new developments in the ongoing efforts to contain the blazes. Firefighting operations are intensifying as Indonesia enters its annual dry season, marked by widespread hotspots and heightened fire risks. Multiple state institutions, including the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), have deployed helicopters and aircraft to aid in rapid response. Six provinces, Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan, are prioritized due to their extensive peatland areas, which become highly flammable under dry conditions. These vulnerabilities have worsened due to the effects of this year’s El Niño phenomenon, according to Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago. Beyond the six main provinces, wildfires have also erupted in several mountainous regions, including Mount Bromo in East Java, Mount Pangrango in West Java, and Mount Rinjani in West Nusa Tenggara. In addition, East Kalimantan is grappling with 24 active hotspots amid rising fire risks. The government has instructed six governors to enhance their wildfire response strategies, while the Indonesian police have intensified enforcement against illegal burning activities. To complement traditional firefighting methods, the Indonesian government has initiated weather modification programs aimed at increasing rainfall in fire-prone areas. In West Kalimantan, cloud-seeding operations took place from Aug. 13 to 17, 2026, involving nine sorties and generating an estimated 10.92 million cubic meters of rain over the seeded area. Another round of similar operations is planned from Aug. 23 to 27, 2026, pending favorable weather conditions. In Central Kalimantan, two separate cloud-seeding campaigns occurred between July 27 and Aug. 4, and again from Aug. 11 to 15, producing roughly 4.8 million cubic meters of rain. Despite these efforts, weather forecasts suggest that Central Kalimantan will remain largely dry through late August, limiting further cloud development and precipitation. In South Kalimantan, officials are closely monitoring conditions and assessing opportunities for weather modification based on available cloud cover and the necessity for ground-based firefighting. According to Ristianto Pribadi, head of the Bureau of Public Relations and Foreign Cooperation at the Ministry of Forestry, weather modification is just one element of a comprehensive strategy that includes ground firefighting, patrols, and resource allocation. Aerial operations have also expanded to support ground teams, particularly in remote areas inaccessible by land. Eight aircraft have been deployed in West Kalimantan, with six stationed at the Supadio Air Force Base for air patrols and water bombing, and two relocated to Ketapang district to tackle concentrated hotspots. Air Commodore Sidik Setyono, commander of the Supadio Air Force Base, noted that Ketapang, Kubu Raya, and Mempawah currently experience the highest number of hotspots within the province. Cloud-seeding materials are stored for immediate use to induce rainfall in critical areas. Water bombing has proven effective in certain instances, such as when a Sikorsky UH-60L helicopter was deployed to extinguish a fire in Mekar Sari village, Kubu Raya district. Acting head of the West Kalimantan Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Ridwan, reported that the number of high-category hotspots across 12 districts decreased significantly after collaborative suppression efforts, dropping from 521 on Aug. 19 to 224 on Aug. 20. The provincial government continues to coordinate both ground and air operations in high-risk zones to manage the situation effectively.
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