Indonesia reports sharp drop in forest, land fires in 2025

  Indonesia's Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni reported that forest and land fires across the country have declined significantly this year.

"We are proud to report that the area affected by wildfires in 2025 has decreased from 2024," Antoni said at a press conference on forest and land fire control in Jakarta on Monday.

He credited President Prabowo Subianto's leadership for the improvement, citing the President's direct involvement in cabinet meetings on fire response, weather modification, and water-bombing efforts.

Data showed wildfires affected 213,984 hectares in 2025, down 43.2 percent from 376,805 hectares in 2024 and far lower than 1.6 million hectares in 2019. Peatland fires accounted for 24,212 hectares, while mineral land fires reached 189,772 hectares.

From January 1 to September 26, a total of 2,248 hotspots were detected — down 23.9 percent from 2,954 during the same period last year — based on high-confidence data from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites.

Antoni said the success in controlling wildfires was the result of cooperation between the ministry, the Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), regional governments, and the public also contributed to the nationwide fire prevention and mitigation efforts.

He pointed to the strengthened firefighting teams, weather modification operations, and integrated patrols in high-risk areas as key measures.

"We also ensure that law enforcement is carried out firmly. There is no compromise for perpetrators of burning, whether individuals or corporations," Antoni said.