Indonesia Deploys 100,000+ Troops, Drops 42 Tons of Salt to Battle Worst Fires in a Decade

Indonesia has deployed more than 100,000 personnel to its Forest and Land Fire Task Forces to prevent and suppress fires across the archipelago, according to the national disaster agency [276854]. The task forces bring together military personnel, police, local government workers, and volunteers who patrol fire-prone areas, extinguish blazes, and support community education on safe land clearing [276854]. The agency said the large-scale deployment reflects the government's focus on faster fire response and stronger prevention efforts [276854].

The country is facing its worst wildfire season in ten years, with peat fires burning across the nation and covering one of the world's most populated countries in thick smoke [274637]. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said firefighting personnel and equipment remain on standby to tackle new fire hotspots as the country braces for further blazes [273474]. The agency confirmed that crews and gear are positioned and ready for rapid deployment [273474].

In South Sumatra, the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) dropped 42 tons of salt on Thursday to create artificial rain and fight forest fires [274658]. The operation aims to extinguish the fires and clear the resulting smoke [274658].

The BNPB is also calling on local governments to strengthen forest and land fire prevention, pushing efforts down to the village level [273464]. The agency urges regional authorities to act early rather than wait for fires to spread, saying village-level prevention is key to stopping fires before they become disasters [273464].

Authorities are taking a tougher enforcement stance against companies blamed for the annual blazes. The National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) has recommended revoking the business licenses of 23 companies linked to forest and land fires [274696]. Separately, the Ministry of Environment is investigating at least 356 companies across the country following outbreaks of forest and land fires [274657]. In Jambi province, police will continue criminal proceedings against two companies linked to forest and land fires despite ongoing challenges in the investigation [273481].

Firefighting efforts are also underway in protected areas. A joint firefighting task force is intensifying efforts to extinguish wildfires burning inside Tanjung Puting National Park, a protected area famous for its orangutan population [273476]. In Central Sulawesi, the Lore Lindu National Park Office has deployed personnel alongside police and military officers to contain forest and land fires in the protected area [273502]. Authorities have not yet reported how much land has burned or what caused those fires [273502].

The fires have caused severe haze in some cities. The National Zakat Agency (Baznas) in Jakarta has prepared four emergency programs to help residents of Palangka Raya affected by severe haze, as thick smoke from forest and land fires continues to blanket the Central Kalimantan city [275976]. Baznas is a government-backed body that collects and distributes Islamic alms (zakat) to those in need [275976].

Wildlife has also been affected. Nine orangutans rescued from wildfires in Indonesian Borneo have returned to the forest after weeks of rehabilitation, including four mothers with their young and three females pregnant with another baby [274772]. The Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN), the body overseeing the development of Indonesia's future capital, took part in a tree-planting effort to restore forest areas damaged by fire in Nusantara [275942].

Indonesia faces seasonal forest and land fires each year, often linked to dry conditions and agricultural burning, and the fires can produce thick haze that affects air quality across the region [276854].