Indonesian police identify 113 suspects in nationwide forest fire investigations
Authorities have named 113 individuals as suspects in wildfire cases across Indonesia following investigations into 169 reports, as the country battles one of its most severe fire seasons in recent years.
Indonesian police name 113 suspects in forest fire cases nationwide
Indonesian National Police have identified 113 suspects in connection with forest and land fires as of September 4, following investigations into 169 wildfire incidents that have scorched 4,741.89 hectares of land in cases under police review nationwide.
The suspects face serious criminal penalties under Indonesian law, including potential prison sentences of up to 10 years and fines reaching 5 billion rupiah (approximately US$504,000) for illegal forest burning.
Senior Commissioner Pipit Subiyanto, head of Sub-directorate III of the National Police's Directorate of Energy Resources and Environmental Crimes, stated that most suspects are individuals who employed illegal slash-and-burn methods to clear land situated near or on their properties.
"We continue to investigate these cases thoroughly. If we find any corporate involvement during our preliminary or formal investigations, we will undoubtedly take action in accordance with applicable laws," Subiyanto emphasized on Saturday.
This enforcement comes amid a particularly devastating fire season driven by strong El Niño conditions. Independent satellite monitoring from Nusantara Atlas has estimated that over 1.9 million hectares burned across Indonesia during the first nine months of 2026, substantially exceeding the government's last official figure of 202,000 hectares announced at the end of July. The area burned this year is 38% higher than the same period in 2019, another catastrophic wildfire year.
Regional concentration of cases
Between January 1 and September 4, police processed 169 reports nationwide. Currently, 55 cases remain under preliminary review while 79 have progressed to formal investigations.
The Riau Regional Police recorded the highest number of suspects with 42 individuals, followed by South Sumatra Regional Police and Central Kalimantan Regional Police, each with 20 suspects. These three provinces together account for 44% of all fires in Indonesia since 2001, making them historically the most fire-prone areas in the country.
In Riau alone, fires burned over 15,000 hectares from January to August 2026, with the vast majority occurring on peatland. Peatland fires are exceptionally difficult to extinguish because they burn underground at low temperatures, smoldering beneath the surface rather than burning through the forest canopy.
East Kalimantan Regional Police have named 13 suspects, followed by Jambi Regional Police with eight suspects, West Kalimantan Regional Police with seven suspects, and South Kalimantan Regional Police with three suspects.
Environmental watchdog Walhi has reported that 74% of fire hotspots in Kalimantan in 2026 were located within corporate concession areas, including oil palm plantations, mining concessions, and forestry permits, underscoring the potential for corporate involvement in the fires.
Extensive environmental and health impacts
Riau Regional Police also reported the largest scorched area at 2,112.25 hectares, followed by West Kalimantan Regional Police with 1,696.3 hectares and Lampung Regional Police with 637.4 hectares.
The fires have generated massive environmental consequences. Between September 1 and 7, Indonesia released 19.7 million metric tons of fire emissions, the highest of any country globally that week and representing more than a third of the worldwide total.
The resulting haze has created a regional transboundary crisis, with smoke drifting into Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and East Timor, prompting school closures and widespread health concerns across Southeast Asia. More than 283,000 acute respiratory illness cases have been recorded across seven affected Indonesian provinces.
Brigadier General Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, head of the National Police's Public Information Bureau, stressed that strict law enforcement is essential to deterring future fires. He urged the public to abandon traditional slash-and-burn clearing practices and immediately report suspected illegal burning.
"Every piece of information and discovery related to suspected forest fire crimes will be followed up professionally and in accordance with legal provisions," Andiko concluded.