IKN Authority Addresses Forest Fires Near New Capital, Emphasizes Containment

The Nusantara Capital Authority (Otorita IKN) has confirmed that efforts to contain and prevent forest fires (karhutla) near Indonesia's new capital, Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN), in East Kalimantan are being intensified. This follows President Prabowo Subianto's call for special attention to the fires. Danis H. Sumadilaga, Special Staff to the Head of the Otorita IKN for Policy Management and Construction Strategy, stated that fire containment operations are ongoing within the IKN delineation. He assured that the closest fire points are approximately 30-40 kilometers away from the Core Government Center Area (KIPP), and ground and aerial firefighting efforts are being strengthened. "The closest fire points are about 30-40 kilometers from the Core Government Center Area of IKN. While they are still within the IKN delineation, they are quite far from the core area," Danis said in a statement on Wednesday (9/9/2026). According to Danis, the reported 458 hectares of affected area does not mean the entire land is burned; rather, it encompasses several fire spots within that zone. The actual burned area is less than the total affected land. "458 hectares is the affected area. Within that area, there are fire spots, so not all of it is burned. The actual burned area is less than that because it consists of fire points," Danis explained. Recent containment efforts over the past few days have significantly reduced the number of fire points in several locations. Key areas of focus are Bukit Tengkorak and the Wonotirto region. On Tuesday morning, a new fire spot was detected near KM 31 of the Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road, which was immediately addressed by a joint team comprising the Otorita IKN, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and Jasa Marga (the toll road operator). Aerial firefighting, including water bombing by the TNI Air Force, is also being utilized. Ground operations involve collaboration between the Otorita IKN, TNI, Polri, Babinsa (village non-commissioned officers), the community, and other parties to tackle accessible fire points. For areas difficult to reach by ground teams, water bombing is employed 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. "Especially in areas that cannot be reached by ground routes. For example, in the Bukit Tengkorak area, there are several areas that can only be reached by water bombing. Then, in several spots in Bukit Merdeka, we also conducted water bombing," said Danis. Despite the reduction in fire points, the Otorita IKN is maintaining heightened vigilance through continuous patrols and monitoring. Ground teams, alongside TNI and Polri, are ensuring no new fire spots emerge and are ready to respond promptly if any are found. Aerial surveillance remains in place to monitor the situation and prevent the spread of fires. This is part of the OIKN's efforts to follow up on the President's directive for swift handling of karhutla. Furthermore, the Otorita IKN is reinforcing preventive measures through public education on land clearing without burning, an initiative formalized in the Otorita IKN Head's Regulation concerning land clearing without burning. Previously, President Prabowo Subianto instructed that all available assets be deployed to prevent fires near IKN from reaching the core government area. "What also needs attention is the fire near IKN; it must be paid attention to, more assets must be deployed so that the fire does not reach the core zone," Prabowo stated in a virtual coordination meeting on Disaster Handling Developments on Monday (7/9/2026).