Opportunities for Controlling Forest and Land Fires with Fire: The Role of Prescribed Burning in Fire Mitigation

Indonesia is currently facing a significant increase in forest and land fires (karhutla). Data from the Ministry of Forestry shows that during January–May 2026, the area affected by fires reached 81,077 hectares. This figure is almost eight times higher compared to the same period in 2025, which recorded 10,444 hectares.

Forest and land fires are expected to continue spreading alongside dry climate conditions linked to the El Niño phenomenon. Amid the rising risk of forest and land fires due to increasingly dry weather, various fire management approaches are drawing renewed attention, including prescribed burning, which has long been practiced in many countries.

This approach was highlighted during a discussion entitled When Fire Can Heal: Prescribed Burning, El Niño, and Fire Management in Indonesia, held by the Ecological Research Centre (PRE) of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) together with Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) in Bogor on 11 June 2026.

In his presentation, Deputy of Climatology at the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan, stated that the number of hotspots detected from 1 January to 8 June 2026 totals 2,312 points. The highest concentration was recorded in Riau with 607 points, followed by West Kalimantan with 478 points, and Aceh with 220 points.

The BMKG also predicts that the number of hotspots will continue to increase as El Niño strengthens.“Therefore, synergy among institutions is crucial to strengthen forest and land fire management efforts, which have many dimensions—from the scientific aspect, with early warnings from BMKG, to mitigation efforts that reach the community level,” he said.

Asep Hidayat, Head of the Ecological Research Centre (PRE) BRIN, emphasised that most forest and land fires are triggered by human activity, while climatic factors act as amplifiers, determining the scale and intensity of the fires.

“So the question is, can fires be controlled? The answer is yes. Experiences from various countries demonstrate that effective fire management requires prevention, preparedness, early detection, rapid suppression, ecosystem restoration, and community involvement. This may include prescribed burning in certain ecosystems. However, this requires in-depth study, especially regarding possible negative impacts,” he explained.

McRee Anderson, a fire management expert from the international environmental organisation The Nature Conservancy (TNC), explained that prescribed burning has several benefits if done correctly. These include accelerating forest regeneration, reducing the accumulation of natural fuels such as dry leaves, twigs, and grasses that can trigger large fires, controlling invasive species, maintaining natural ecosystem balance, and improving soil fertility. This practice has been applied for decades in countries such as the United States, Australia, and Canada as part of natural fuel reduction and fire risk management strategies.

Opportunities and Challenges for Implementation in Indonesia  

While prescribed burning has proven beneficial in many countries, its application in Indonesia still faces challenges, particularly regarding regulations, monitoring capacity, and ecosystem characteristics.

Forest and land fire expert Israr Albar noted that, in general, Indonesian policy still prioritises a zero-burning principle. However, he sees room for further discussion within the existing regulatory framework. Law No. 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management, particularly Article 69, still allows local communities to carry out limited burning of up to 2 hectares.

“This can be considered as a basis for the possible use of prescribed burning, especially on mineral soils. This technique has the potential to help reduce the accumulation of natural fuels in fire-prone areas, as long as it is done with strict planning and supervision. However, this practice must not be applied to peat ecosystems,” Israr said.

In line with this, a tropical peat expert from Tanjungpura University, Gusti Zakaria Anshari, stressed that peat ecosystems must be fully protected. In addition to storing massive carbon reserves, peatland fires are extremely difficult to extinguish and contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions.

“The key to peatland management is preventing fires from occurring in the first place. Reducing natural fuels such as shrubs is an important step, but without using fire,” he stated.

Peat researcher from YKAN, Nisa Novita, added that YKAN’s joint studies with the Ministry of Forestry and Oregon State University over more than two decades in Kalimantan show a strong and consistent correlation between El Niño, fire frequency, and the burned extent of peatlands.

“Our findings show that El Niño consistently increases fire risk, especially in degraded peat landscapes. Therefore, prescribed burning must be carefully positioned as part of a broader fire risk management strategy, ensuring full protection for peat ecosystems and prioritising landscape-based prevention,” Nisa concluded.