Indonesian Authorities Detain 72 Suspects in Connection with Forest Fire Outbreaks

JAKARTA — Authorities arrested 72 individuals suspected of igniting recent forest and peatland fires, as massive blazes across central and western Indonesia produced a dense, choking haze.

Indonesia has been confronting fires fueled by a strengthening El Niño and an extended dry spell, producing thick smoke that drifted into Malaysia, the country’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported.

Forest fires are a recurring issue in Indonesia and frequently create tension with neighboring nations.

Plantation operators and smallholder farmers frequently set fires to clear land for agriculture, according to Mohammad Irhamni, head of special crimes at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency.

Irhamni added that the suspects are linked to 89 forest and land‑fire incidents spanning five provinces in Borneo and four provinces on Sumatra.

He noted that most of those detained are accused of intentionally torching land to prepare cheap plantation sites, while investigators continue to trace financial flows to see if any companies financed or directed the clearing, suggesting the investigation may widen beyond the current arrests.

“We will not stop with those on the ground,” Irhami said at a Sunday press briefing in Jakarta. “We will identify who profited from these actions and who ultimately orchestrated them.”

The suspects could be fined heavily or sentenced to up to 15 years in prison, he added.

President Prabowo Subianto traveled to Central Kalimantan on Saturday, where over 7,600 hectares (18,700 acres) have been scorched, to urge officials to bring the haze under control.

He pledged to deploy government resources such as helicopters and water pumps to combat the fires and promised to hold any companies responsible for the blazes accountable.

“I hope we can bring this under control soon,” Prabowo said during the visit. “We have faced more severe forest and land fires before, and we succeeded in overcoming them.”

Accompanying the president was Prasetyo Hadi, head of the State Secretariat, who said at least four firms in West Kalimantan are under investigation for allegedly using fire to clear land. If proven to have deliberately ignited the blazes, they could face sanctions such as the loss of their operating licenses.

On Sunday, smoke from the fires spread across parts of Borneo—the world’s third‑largest island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Indonesia governs roughly three‑quarters of the island, where the Environment Ministry logged over 3,700 hotspots that day.

BNPB chief Suharyanto reported a rise in fire activity across West, Central and South Kalimantan provinces on Borneo, where peat‑laden blazes intensify and extend the hazardous haze over several regions.

“Fires that seem extinguished on the surface may still harbor embers below, making ample rainfall essential to rewet the peat and fully suppress the blaze,” Suharyanto said, noting that, like many Indonesians, he goes by a single name.

South Sumatra’s western region also faced fires, with over 1,700 hotspots detected on Sunday, producing a thick haze that cut visibility to just 10 meters (33 feet) in places, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, Malaysia has endured heavy smoke from the fires, with the eastern state of Sarawak among the worst affected. One district registered “very unhealthy” air quality on Friday, while eight other areas recorded unhealthy levels, leading the Sarawak government to close nearly 600 schools, impacting roughly 200,000 students.

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