InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – The threat of forest and land fires during Indonesia’s 2026 dry season has prompted palm oil companies to strengthen preventive measures well ahead of the peak dry period. Preparedness efforts range from improving firefighting equipment and monitoring hotspots to conducting field patrols and expanding cooperation with government agencies and surrounding communities.
The approach reflects a growing emphasis on preventing forest and land fires, rather than waiting until fires have already broken out. Several palm oil companies have stepped up their readiness before weather conditions become increasingly dry, particularly in areas considered highly vulnerable to fires.
One of the companies strengthening its preparedness is Bumitama Gunajaya Agro (BGA Group) in Central Kalimantan. Ahead of the 2026 dry season, the company increased coordination and fire-response readiness across its operational areas by involving local governments, security authorities and nearby communities.
BGA’s preparedness measures cover three main operational areas: Pundu, Kotawaringin and Mentaya. The company coordinates with subdistrict-level leadership forums, regional disaster management agencies, the Indonesian Military and National Police, Manggala Agni firefighting teams, as well as its own internal fire-response units.
With an operational area of approximately 184,000 hectares, consisting of 66% core plantations and 34% plasma plantations, strengthening the fire-prevention system has become an important part of plantation management. The measures are intended not only to protect the environment but also to help ensure that economic activities in surrounding communities can continue.
According to Tabengan Online, as cited by InfoSAWIT on Thursday, June 4, 2026, BGA’s preparations include inspections of firefighting facilities and infrastructure, human-resource capacity building, fire-response simulations and stronger field coordination. These measures are designed to ensure that potential fires can be detected and addressed as early as possible.
Community-Based Fire Prevention
Fire prevention efforts are also directed toward communities surrounding the company’s operational areas. BGA operates a Fire-Free Village program and strengthens Masyarakat Peduli Api (MPA), or community fire-awareness groups, as part of a community-based monitoring system.
Through this approach, residents are encouraged to remain alert to potential fire hotspots and understand the risks associated with land clearing through burning. Their role is particularly important because communities are located closest to vulnerable areas and can serve as the first line of detection when signs of fire emerge.
Throughout 2026, BGA has partnered with 12 villages around its Central Kalimantan operations to strengthen community-based fire prevention. The collaboration is expected to support faster response mechanisms while improving the resilience of villages and plantation areas during the dry season.
Astra Agro Strengthens Fire Prevention in Riau
Similar preparedness measures have been adopted by PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk (AALI) through its operations in Riau Province. The company has reaffirmed its commitment to preventing forest and land fires by applying a no-burning principle.
The commitment was reinforced through the company’s participation in the Forest and Land Fire Prevention Preparedness Ceremony in Pekanbaru on April 25, 2026. The event formed part of a multi-stakeholder effort to strengthen coordination amid rising fire risks during the dry season.
At the event, Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq warned that the risk of forest and land fires in 2026 needed serious anticipation. Declining rainfall and the possibility of a longer dry season could increase fire vulnerability, particularly in Riau, which has extensive peatland areas.
For plantation companies, such conditions make prevention increasingly important rather than relying solely on firefighting after flames appear. Peatland water management, land-condition monitoring, and personnel and equipment readiness are therefore important components of mitigation strategies.
Astra Agro Vice President of Corporate Communication Mochamad Husni said the company had stopped opening new plantation areas since 2015, both on peatland and mineral soils. Land management has subsequently relied on technical monitoring, including groundwater-level measurements, rainfall monitoring and subsidence surveillance in accordance with applicable requirements.
The company has also strengthened operational readiness by inspecting firefighting facilities, optimizing observation towers, constructing water reservoirs, conducting integrated patrols and monitoring hotspots using technology.
Fire brigade teams have received additional training and participated in fire-response simulations. The objective is to ensure that field personnel are equipped not only with the necessary tools but also with the skills to respond quickly when potential fires are detected.
Astra Agro has also conducted in-depth assessments of six districts categorized as fire-prone. The assessment considers landscape characteristics, community conditions and the historical occurrence of hotspots.
Cooperation with communities and other stakeholders has likewise been strengthened through integrated patrols, support for MPA groups and participation in government programs across Riau.
Preparedness Becomes a Key Part of Palm Oil Operations
The various measures demonstrate that preparedness for forest and land fires is becoming an increasingly important component of palm oil plantation operations, particularly in regions with high fire vulnerability.
Prevention is being implemented through a layered approach that includes weather and hotspot monitoring, firefighting infrastructure, human-resource development, field patrols, peatland water management and community participation.
The strategy also highlights the importance of preparing before the peak of the dry season. Early preparation can help companies detect and respond to potential fires around plantation areas before they develop into larger and more difficult-to-control incidents.
For the palm oil industry, successful fire prevention is not merely about protecting plantation areas. It is also closely linked to environmental sustainability, community safety and the continuity of economic activities in surrounding regions.
As a result, cooperation among companies, government institutions, security authorities and communities remains critical to building an effective forest and land fire prevention system.
Early preparedness during the dry season is therefore one of the key measures for reducing the risk of fires before conditions become more difficult to manage. (T2)
