Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Forest and land fires continue to burn across several parts of Indonesia, with 7,555 hotspots and 196 fire spots recorded in six priority provinces as of October 9, 2026, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
The six provinces prioritized for firefighting efforts are Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan. A total of 706.19 hectares of land burned across these areas in the previous 24 hours, according to BNPB's wildfire response dashboard.
South Sumatra and Central Kalimantan record most hotspots
Berton Panjaitan, acting head of BNPB's Data, Information and Disaster Communication Center, said South Sumatra and Central Kalimantan recorded the highest numbers of hotspots among the six provinces.
As of October 9, South Sumatra recorded 2,207 hotspots and 72 fire spots, while Central Kalimantan recorded 3,511 hotspots and 67 fire spots, according to the agency's dashboard.
Berton said hotspot data must be verified through field inspections, as satellite-detected hotspots do not directly indicate the number of active fires or the total area still burning.
"Hotspot data must still be verified in the field because it does not directly reflect the number of active fires or the extent of land that remains ablaze," Berton said in a phone interview on Saturday, October 10.
Haze reduces visibility across affected provinces
The fires, which have persisted for months, have continued to worsen air quality in affected areas. Berton said air quality monitoring showed that several areas had reached hazardous levels, particularly in Central Kalimantan, Jambi, South Sumatra, and West Kalimantan.
Thick smoke has also reduced visibility across the affected provinces. Visibility in Jambi stood at around one kilometer, while it reached 1.5 kilometers in Central Kalimantan, two kilometers in Riau, and just 0.4 kilometers in South Sumatra.
West Kalimantan recorded the poorest visibility at only 0.1 kilometers. In South Kalimantan, visibility stood at around eight kilometers.
Berton said the government was continuing to intensify ground and aerial firefighting operations, alongside efforts to cool areas where fires had been extinguished to prevent them from reigniting.
He urged residents in affected areas to monitor official air quality updates and limit outdoor activities when pollution levels deteriorate.
Residents were also advised to wear appropriate masks and seek medical attention immediately if they experience shortness of breath or other serious health problems.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2121301/forest-fire-hotspots-remain-high-across-6-indonesian-province