Indonesian authorities identify 97 corporations in ongoing wildfire investigations
Indonesia's National Police have identified 97 companies suspected of violations linked to forest and land fires, as the country faces its most severe wildfire season in over a decade with 202,000 hectares burned.
Indonesia names 97 companies in forest and land fire investigations
Indonesian authorities have identified 97 companies suspected of violations connected to the widespread forest and land fires that continue to burn across Sumatra and Kalimantan, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman announced Monday.
The corporations will face further legal proceedings as part of an intensifying government crackdown on suspected perpetrators of the fires, which have devastated vast areas of the archipelago this year. By mid-August, the Ministry of Forestry reported that 202,000 hectares of forests and land had burned across Indonesia since January, making 2026 the country's most intense wildfire season in 11 years.
Speaking to reporters at his Jakarta office, Dudung said the findings were based on investigation reports compiled by National Police headquarters and regional police offices. Investigators have also identified individuals suspected of involvement in the blazes.
The minister called on police to continue their investigations to uncover the masterminds behind the widespread destruction. The fires have exposed millions of people to hazardous smoke and disrupted communities throughout Indonesia and neighboring countries.
Regional distribution of cases
The police Criminal Investigation Agency revealed that nine individuals had been named suspects in corporate-linked wildfire cases as of October 13. Speaking in Jakarta the following day, Senior Commissioner Pipit Subiyanto, head of Subdirectorate III at the agency's Directorate for Certain Crimes, said seven of the suspects were in West Kalimantan, with the remaining two in Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan.
Investigators have received 98 reports involving corporate fire cases handled by the Criminal Investigation Agency and 10 regional police offices. West Kalimantan Police recorded the highest number of reports at 33, followed by South Sumatra with 17, Central Kalimantan with 14, South Kalimantan with 11, and East Kalimantan with seven.
Additional reports were recorded in Riau with six cases, Lampung and North Kalimantan with three each, Jambi with two, and the Bangka Belitung Islands with one. The Criminal Investigation Agency handled one separate case directly.
Separate investigations targeting individual perpetrators have resulted in 223 suspects being named in 273 case reports handled by 12 regional police offices.
Enforcement challenges and legal framework
The 2026 fire season represents a 110% increase compared to the same period in 2023, when El Niño last affected Indonesia. The blazes have been driven by a very strong El Niño phenomenon causing extreme dry conditions, combined with forest clearing practices. Recent analysis shows that nearly a quarter of forest and peatland areas burned across Indonesia are located inside business concessions, with some areas having been repeatedly engulfed in fire.
Subiyanto warned that offenders would face stringent criminal penalties under Indonesian environmental law. Individuals convicted of violating laws governing wildfires face prison sentences of between 10 and 12 years. Under the legal framework, corporations can also face criminal liability for fires committed by, for, or on behalf of a business entity.
The Ministry of Forestry has pursued parallel administrative enforcement, suspending business permits of 26 corporate entities as of September, with sanctions including mandatory environmental restoration and potential criminal prosecution.
The officer urged the public to stop clearing land by burning, emphasizing that the practice remains illegal and detrimental to the environment.
Regional impact and ecological threats
The fires have triggered a transboundary haze crisis affecting multiple Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines. ASEAN activated its highest-level Regional Alert Level 3 for transboundary haze on August 26, requiring daily situation reports.
Among the most critical areas affected is Tanjung Puting National Park, which houses the world's largest conservation and rehabilitation center for orangutans. The National Disaster Management Agency recorded at least 513 hectares burned in the park as of October 13, prompting President Prabowo to order priority firefighting efforts for the location.