Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto flew to Kalimantan on Saturday to inspect and directly oversee efforts to contain a worsening outbreak of forest and land fires that has spread across several provinces.

Prabowo departed Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta at 10 a.m. local time, according to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, who said the president wanted to ensure that firefighting operations were carried out swiftly and in coordination with local authorities.

“President Prabowo Subianto is heading to Kalimantan to inspect and directly lead the simultaneous response to forest and land fires in Kalimantan,” Teddy said in a post on the Cabinet Secretariat's Instagram account.

The president's visit comes as authorities step up efforts to contain fires that have generated hundreds of high-confidence hotspots and affected large areas across the region.

An estimated 548 square kilometers (212 square miles) of land have burned, based on a Google estimate.

Between Aug. 17 and 19, authorities detected 750 high-confidence hotspots across three Kalimantan provinces, including 367 in West Kalimantan, 343 in Central Kalimantan and 40 in South Kalimantan.

The government has deployed at least 12,880 personnel to three priority provinces. Central Kalimantan accounts for the largest contingent, with about 10,700 personnel, followed by West Kalimantan with 1,410 and South Kalimantan with 770.

Military and Police Personnel Mobilized 
A day before his departure, Prabowo ordered senior military and police officials to work directly with provincial governments and local communities in the four Kalimantan provinces affected by the fires.

In West Kalimantan, the operation is being led by the commander of the Indonesian military, known as the TNI, and the national police chief. Central Kalimantan is being overseen by the Army chief of staff and the deputy national police chief.

In South Kalimantan, the Navy chief of staff and the police operations chief are leading the response, while in East Kalimantan the operation is being headed by the TNI deputy commander and the commander of the police's Mobile Brigade Corps.

Prabowo has instructed authorities to prioritize firefighting and recovery while also taking firm legal action against those responsible for violations.

He ordered law enforcement agencies to prosecute any violations uncovered during operations in accordance with Indonesian law and without compromise.

The president was accompanied on his departure by Teddy, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi and Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian.

Weather Modification and Aerial Operations
Authorities are also using weather modification operations to encourage rainfall over fire-affected areas. The deployment of weather-modification aircraft is being adjusted according to atmospheric conditions, the availability of suitable clouds and the development of fires on the ground.

In Central Kalimantan, firefighting efforts have been reinforced with aerial assets, including patrol helicopters, fixed-wing surveillance aircraft and water-bombing helicopters.

Forest and land fires are a recurring problem in Indonesia, particularly during the dry season. Fires can spread rapidly through degraded forests and peatlands and generate thick smoke that affects air quality, transportation and public health.

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