Prabowo Monitors Forest and Land Fire Response
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has monitored efforts to contain forest and land fires in Jambi and Lampung, urging authorities to maintain prevention measures in areas where fires are coming under control while moving quickly to extinguish remaining hotspots.
JAKARTA — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has directly monitored the latest developments in forest and land fire management in Jambi and Lampung, as authorities continue efforts to contain fires and prevent new outbreaks.
Prabowo conducted the monitoring through a video conference from the Main Command Post of the South Sumatra Forest and Land Fire Task Force in Palembang on Monday (Aug 24), receiving reports on conditions and response efforts on the ground.
During a video conference with the Jambi provincial government, Prabowo was informed that the situation in the province was beginning to come under control, with no new fires reported for several days. Authorities were continuing cooling operations at locations where smoke remained visible.
Jambi Governor Al Haris said teams were continuing to monitor the affected areas and carry out cooling operations where necessary to prevent remaining smoke from developing into new fires.
Prabowo also responded to Jambi's request for additional operational support, including vehicles to help accelerate the mobilisation of personnel. He said the support would be sent to Jambi to strengthen the speed of response to potential forest and land fires.
“You have 81 posts, we will immediately send motorcycles to Jambi. I thank the Jambi Forkopimda, maintain this, continue socialisation and education, continue prevention, continue monitoring developments,” Prabowo said.
The President also held a video conference with Lampung authorities to receive an update on fires in Way Kambas National Park.
He instructed officials to move quickly to extinguish the remaining fire area, saying: “If possible, I ask that the 100 hectares be extinguished immediately.”
The monitoring came as Indonesia continues to face a challenging forest and land fire situation amid dry weather conditions. The government has stepped up ground and aerial firefighting operations across affected areas, with Prabowo previously calling for faster action to prevent hotspots from developing into larger fires.
At the end of the video conference, Prabowo expressed his appreciation to all personnel involved in the firefighting response, including regional coordination teams, officers at command posts and those working on the front lines.
“Convey my thanks to all officers in the field, everyone at the command posts and at the front posts. We will strive to provide support for everyone who is at the front,” Prabowo said.
He also urged personnel and communities to remain vigilant in protecting their respective areas as the country faces difficult weather conditions.
“Protect your area, protect your hometown. We will overcome this. The weather is indeed unfriendly for the time being, but we can overcome it,” he said.
Prabowo's latest intervention highlights the government's focus on both immediate firefighting and longer-term prevention, with authorities being urged to maintain monitoring, public education and early intervention even after fires have been brought under control.
The Indonesian government has also been increasing resources for firefighting and prevention as forest and land fires continue to pose environmental, public health and regional haze risks.
