Jakarta, August 23, 2026 – The Europe Today: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to hold corporations accountable for clearing land by burning, as wildfires spread across parts of Kalimantan, Sumatra and Java.
Speaking in Palangka Raya on Saturday night after chairing a coordination meeting on wildfires in Central Kalimantan Province, the president warned companies of severe legal consequences for environmental offences.
“Yes, we must take stern action against them. If their involvement is proven, we will take action in accordance with the law,” he said.
Prabowo expressed optimism about the firefighting effort while stressing the need for sustained coordination between central and regional authorities to contain the blazes.
“I hope for the immediate containment of fires. Looking back, we managed to deal with very severe wildfires in the past,” he said.
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said four corporations in West Kalimantan are under investigation over suspected involvement in forest and land fires.
“Reports indicate that there are four corporations currently under investigation,” Prasetyo told reporters after accompanying the president to the Palangka Raya meeting.
He said the government would take appropriate action against any company found responsible for starting wildfires, including the possible revocation of operating permits, and that its legal response would be determined by the findings of the investigations.
The president’s intervention comes as multiple government institutions coordinate efforts to suppress fires across Kalimantan.
Prabowo travelled from Jakarta to West Kalimantan on Saturday to assess conditions. At a meeting in Kubu Raya District, he received briefings indicating more than 3,500 hotspots in the province, including 198 classified as high-confidence hotspots from satellite imagery.
He ordered the deployment of an additional 1,500 soldiers and six helicopters to reinforce firefighting operations in West Kalimantan.
The president then travelled to Palangka Raya, where he ordered four more helicopters to carry out water-bombing operations across Central Kalimantan.
