Kalimantan Forest Fires Caused by Human Activity, Not Coal Evaporation

Social media claims alleging Kalimantan forest fires are caused naturally by subterranean coal evaporation have been debunked by hydrological experts and geospatial mapping. Authorities confirm that dry peatlands act as fuel, but human activities and land-clearing practices serve as the primary ignition sources driving the regional disaster.

As dry conditions and haze persist across parts of Kalimantan, online posts circulating on Facebook and Threads have attempted to reframe devastating forest and land fires as entirely natural occurrences. According to these viral claims, extreme heat and subterranean coal deposits evaporating from beneath the ground cause spontaneous ignitions without any human involvement. Fact-checking and official investigations, however, point firmly away from nature and directly toward human agency.

Hydrological Science Refutes Natural Subterranean Claims

Experts emphasize that natural combustion in peatlands requires specific, rare environmental thresholds that are rarely met during normal dry seasons. Prof. Muh. Taufik, a hydrology professor at IPB University, noted that a fire requires an ignition source, oxygen, and fuel to catch and spread.

While prolonged dry weather leaves peatlands parched and lowers groundwater levels to expand oxygen pockets within the soil, natural ignition demands extreme conditions. Natural fires typically require temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius or a direct lightning strike. However, lightning is exceptionally rare under the dry, cloudless skies typical of severe drought periods.

Rijal Ramdani, an environmental policy researcher at Muhammadiyah University Yogyakarta, supported this assessment, noting that land-clearing practices for agriculture remain a primary source of ignition according to environmental policy research. Furthermore, El Nino conditions have prolonged dry spells across the region, stripping vegetation and peat of vital moisture and turning the landscape into highly flammable fuel. The fire can also spread beneath the surface, making the extinguishing process much more difficult, Rijal explained in published university statements.

Geospatial Mapping and Satellite Monitoring Trace Hotspots

To evaluate the scale and origin of the blazes, researchers cross-referenced geospatial data with satellite tracking. Geospatial mapping of peatland areas provided by the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) was compared against Himawari satellite imagery from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) recorded on September 5, 2026. The combined data revealed that the vast majority of active hotspots concentrate directly over peatland regions, particularly across West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.

Kalimantan Forest Fires Caused by Human Activity, Not Coal Evaporation — Photo: tirto.id

Independent monitoring through NASA’s Worldview platform provides an overarching view of regional smoke dispersal and thermal anomalies. Utilizing MODIS and VIIRS instruments aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites, observers can track thermal anomalies and aerosol movement across administrative boundaries using NASA satellite imagery. While these orbital instruments capture smoke plumes and broad heat signatures, specialists caution that satellite data must be paired with local ground reports, wind patterns, and air quality indexes to understand surface-level pollution accurately.

Corporate Sanctions and Criminal Arrests

Regulatory enforcement has targeted both commercial operators and individuals linked to illegal burning. The Ministry of Forestry imposed administrative sanctions on six companies holding Forest Utilization Concessions after supervision revealed active fires burning within their concession zones. These fires scorched a combined total of 1,511.55 hectares across West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan.

The government subjected five of the firms to coercive administrative sanctions while freezing the business permit of a sixth.

PT MPK (West Kalimantan)
PT WEL (West Kalimantan)
PT FI (West Kalimantan)
PT WSP (West Kalimantan)
PT NES (Central Kalimantan)
PT PSR (East Kalimantan)

Alongside corporate penalties, law enforcement agencies launched criminal investigations into suspected arsonists. Police have arrested multiple individuals across the affected provinces, including 7 suspects in West Kalimantan, 20 people in Central Kalimantan, 2 individuals in South Kalimantan, and 13 suspects in East Kalimantan as reported in enforcement updates.

Wildlife Toll Highlights Ecological Devastation

The human-driven fires continue to exact a severe toll on local ecosystems and protected wildlife. The Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of West Kalimantan confirmed the death of Sempurna, an adult orangutan rescued after being found unresponsive in Ketapang Regency following exposure to toxic smoke.

Benarkah Kebakaran Hutan Kalimantan Mengancam IKN? Cek Fakta | VTH

Local residents first spotted the distressed animal suffering from severe respiratory distress in Dusun Sempurna, Desa Kuala Satong, within the Matan Hilir Utara subdistrict. Responding to the public report, BKSDA personnel teamed up with Yayasan International Animal Rescue Indonesia (YIARI) to initiate an emergency rescue. Workers administered oxygen therapy and intravenous fluids before transporting Sempurna to the YIARI rehabilitation center. Despite medical intervention and emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation after her breathing failed, the orangutan succumbed to the effects of smoke inhalation.

Murlan Dameria Pane, Head of BKSDA West Kalimantan, expressed condolences over the animal’s death while thanking the community for alerting authorities in an official agency statement. As law enforcement actions expand against corporate concession holders and individual burners, environmental monitors continue tracking satellite telemetry and ground hotspots to curb further destruction across the peatlands.