Wildfires Spread in Kalimantan as Nusantara Targets Five Areas for Water Bombing

Five areas surrounding Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan have been selected for aerial water-bombing as authorities respond to rising wildfire risks.

The first target is the Bukit Tengkorak area inside the Bukit Soeharto Grand Forest Park. Other targets stretch from Bukit Merdeka to Teluk Dalam along the Samarinda-Balikpapan route, and from Wonotirto toward Tanjung Harapan, an area of peatland that has dried out.

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The first location is the Bukit Tengkorak area inside the Bukit Soeharto Grand Forest Park.

OIKN environmental and natural-resources deputy Myrna A. Safitri said the target areas combine different types of vegetation with hilly terrain. Those conditions make aerial firefighting more effective and safer than sending personnel along footpaths, she said.

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These geographic conditions make aerial firefighting a much more effective and safer option than deploying personnel on foot.

The Nusantara Capital Authority is coordinating the operation with Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency and the Air Force. The Air Force has placed one Caracal helicopter at Dhomber Air Base in Balikpapan as the main firefighting aircraft. It can carry a two-ton bambi bucket, equivalent to 2,000 liters of water, on each flight.

Officials said the operation will not only extinguish existing hotspots but also wet areas that could catch fire. Danis H. Sumadilaga, a special adviser to the head of OIKN, said wetting is crucial to limit the spread of flames, especially as wind direction changes frequently. Authorities will continue monitoring vulnerable areas during the dry-season fire-risk period, using meteorological data and regular field reports to select further targets.

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The operation is intended not only to extinguish hotspots, but also to wet areas that could potentially burn.