BALINEWSID.COM, JAKARTA — The number of high-confidence wildfire hotspots across Indonesia fell sharply to 365 on Monday night, down from 559 a day earlier, but the government is maintaining heightened controls, particularly in South Sumatra and Central Kalimantan.

According to data from the Ministry of Forestry’s SiPongi monitoring system as of 9 p.m. local time on Sept. 28, the number of high-confidence hotspots fell by 194 points nationwide.

Despite the national decline, hotspot activity varied significantly across regions. South Sumatra recorded the highest number among the six provinces designated as priority areas for forest and land fire control, with 96 hotspots, up from 29 the previous day.

Central Kalimantan recorded 37 hotspots, down sharply from 134, while Jambi saw its total increase to 25 from five.

South Kalimantan recorded four hotspots, down from 25, while West Kalimantan reported no hotspots, compared with 11 a day earlier. Riau also recorded no hotspots.

Overall, high-confidence hotspots across the six priority provinces declined from 204 to 162.

The Ministry of Forestry said firefighting operations would remain focused on areas experiencing increases in hotspot activity or relatively high levels of activity, particularly South Sumatra and Central Kalimantan.

61 Aircraft Deployed

The government is continuing integrated wildfire control operations on the ground and from the air.

A total of 61 aircraft are currently on standby, including 17 aircraft for patrols and weather modification operations and 44 aircraft for water bombing.

Fifty-five aircraft are supporting operations in the six priority provinces, while another six water-bombing aircraft have been deployed to assist in other affected areas.

On the ground, the Ministry of Forestry’s Manggala Agni firefighting teams are working with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the military, police, regional disaster agencies, local governments, communities, volunteers and businesses.

Their operations include patrols, field verification, direct firefighting, firebreak construction, wetting, mopping up and cooling operations.

Peatlands remain a particular concern because fires can continue burning underground even after surface flames have been extinguished. Authorities are therefore continuing wetting and cooling operations until affected areas are considered safe.

Government Clarifies Hotspot Data

The Ministry of Forestry stressed that a hotspot does not represent the number of actual fires.

A hotspot is an indication of an abnormal surface temperature detected by satellites, including NASA’s Terra and Aqua, SNPP and NOAA-20. A single fire can produce multiple hotspot detections, meaning that each indication must be verified through ground checks.

Meanwhile, air quality monitoring by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) showed that most parts of Indonesia remained in the good-to-moderate air quality categories.

However, several pockets of the country continued to record unhealthy to very unhealthy conditions.

Authorities said air quality is influenced not only by forest and land fires but also by meteorological conditions, meaning conditions can change rapidly.

Aviation monitoring by BMKG on the night of Sept. 28 showed varying visibility at several major airports in the priority provinces.

Visibility at Supadio Airport in Pontianak was around 2 kilometers under smoky conditions. Visibility was around 8 kilometers in Pekanbaru, 7 kilometers in Jambi, at least 10 kilometers in Palembang and around 9 kilometers in Banjarmasin.

The government said visibility could change quickly depending on weather conditions and concentrations of airborne particles. Monitoring will therefore continue to support wildfire response and aviation safety.

The Ministry of Forestry urged residents in areas experiencing deteriorating air quality to reduce outdoor activities and wear masks when outdoor activities are unavoidable.

Children, pregnant women, older people and those with respiratory disorders or chronic illnesses are advised to take extra precautions.

The ministry also reiterated its warning to residents and businesses against clearing land by burning. People who spot smoke, fire hotspots or suspected land-burning activities are encouraged to immediately report them to authorities so that fires can be contained as early as possible.