Nusantara Capital: Forest Fires Contained Far from Core Government Area

The Nusantara Capital Authority (IKN) has confirmed that several forest and land fire (karhutla) points within the IKN's delineation are located a considerable distance from the Core Government Area (KIPP). Efforts to extinguish these fires are ongoing through both ground and aerial operations to prevent their spread. Danis H. Sumadilaga, Special Staff to the Head of the IKN Authority for Policy Management and Construction Strategy, stated that while some karhutla points are indeed within the IKN's boundaries, their geographical distance from the core government area is significant, with the closest points being around 30-40 kilometers away. He emphasized that ongoing efforts are primarily preventive measures to stop the fires from escalating and spreading to other regions. Sumadilaga clarified that the reported affected area of 458 hectares does not represent the total burnt land but rather the area encompassing multiple fire hotspots. The actual burnt surface is less than this figure. In recent days, the number of fire hotspots in several locations has reportedly decreased. Two areas currently receiving primary attention are Bukit Tengkorak and Wonotirto. On the morning of Tuesday (September 8, 2026), a fire hotspot was detected on the Balikpapan-Samarinda Toll Road at Kilometer 31, which was immediately handled by a joint team comprising the IKN Authority, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), and Jasa Marga. Firefighting operations in IKN are integrated, utilizing ground teams and aerial support. The IKN Authority collaborates with the TNI, Polri, local military personnel (Babinsa), and community members to tackle accessible hotspots. Meanwhile, aerial firefighting, including water bombing, is employed for areas difficult to reach by land, with support from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), TNI, and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), particularly in areas like Bukit Tengkorak and parts of Bukit Merdeka. Despite the reduction in hotspots, the IKN Authority will continue patrols and monitoring. Ground teams, along with the TNI and Polri, remain on alert to anticipate new hotspots and manage any further occurrences. Aerial surveillance will also continue to monitor the situation and ensure fires do not spread, in line with President Prabowo Subianto's directive for swift handling of karhutla. Earlier, President Prabowo Subianto had instructed that forest and land fires near IKN must not reach the core zone and called for the deployment of assets to prevent their spread. He noted reports of the largest karhutla occurring in West Kalimantan, with 38,000 hectares burnt, and Riau having the largest unextinguished burnt area. President Prabowo requested the BNPB to coordinate with the TNI Commander regarding the optimal placement of heavy-lift military helicopters, such as Chinooks, to assist in fire management and prevent proximity to IKN. Source: Liputan6