"Speed and accuracy are crucial. When a fire occurs, it must be extinguished immediately to prevent it from developing into a major fire, especially on peatlands, which require extraordinary efforts to control," he noted in a statement on Saturday.
Speaking while chairing the Coordination Meeting on Forest and Land Fire Control in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Nurofiq stated that accelerating the handling of forest and land fires is currently a top priority.
He believes that an early fire response can prevent air pollution, ecosystem damage, and the spread of fires, especially in fragile peatlands.
In West Kalimantan, he noted that as of July 31, some 1,500 hotspots were detected, with 297 classified as high-confidence points.
A total of 258 fires have occurred, affecting 989 hectares of land, mainly across mineral and peatland areas in Sambas, Mempawah, and Kubu Raya districts.
Since declaring the Forest and Land Fire Emergency Alert Status on April 17, authorities have coordinated integrated measures, including by deploying three water-bombing aircraft in Mempawah and Kubu Raya since July 27.
This effort is also supported by air patrols, weather modification operations, intensive ground patrols, and fire extinguishing conducted by several authorities.
Regarding law enforcement, Nurofiq emphasized zero tolerance for forest and land burning while stating that all violations will be prosecuted without exception, whether by individual perpetrators or corporate concession holders.
In the same statement, Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Suharyanto, praised Nurofiq's leadership, highlighting the successful acceleration of forest and land fire mitigation in Riau Province, which was completed within five days of the minister's arrival.
He expressed hope that a similar approach would be applied in West Kalimantan Province.
"I appreciate the commitment and synergy demonstrated by Minister Nurofiq and his ranks in handling forest and land fires. We hope that a similar pattern can be replicated in West Kalimantan," Suharyanto remarked.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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