Kalimantan Wildfires Complicated by Dwindling Water Sources, Strong Winds

Wildfires are raging across Kalimantan, posing significant challenges for Indonesian authorities battling the blazes. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) highlighted dwindling water sources as a primary obstacle, with available water increasingly distant from fire sites.

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Some of the challenges we encounter during ground operations include no access roads to the fire points, making the terrains difficult to navigate. Water sources are starting to recede and getting farther away from the fire locations.

Berton Suar Pelita Panjaitan, Acting Head of the BNPB's Data, Information, and Disaster Communication Center, explained that difficult terrain and a lack of access roads further complicate ground operations. "Water sources are starting to recede and getting farther away from the fire locations," he said during a virtual press conference on Sunday.

This scarcity of water, exacerbated by the ongoing dry season, forces firefighting equipment like water trucks and helicopters to undertake longer journeys. Strong winds also present a major hazard, fanning the flames and making aerial maneuvers for water bombing extremely difficult. "Limited visibility conditions" add to the challenges for pilots.

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Water sources are extremely limited considering that it is still the dry season.

While water bombing supports ground efforts, the government is focused on increasing the number of operational water tank trucks. Six provinces, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Riau, Jambi, and South Sumatra, are currently prioritized for wildfire management.

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Strong winds around the fire spots make it difficult to maneuver the helicopters. Limited visibility conditions.