Indonesia names 139 suspects in 200 forest-fire cases

JAKARTA — 11 September 2026, Indonesian police have identified at least 139 suspects in connection with about 200 forest and land-fire cases nationwide, as vast fires continue to cause widespread damage and thick haze.

Police in Riau province, eastern Sumatra, named 49 suspects in 45 separate suspected arson cases that have burned nearly 3,000 hectares of forest, according to the Asian News Network.

Ade Kuncoro Ridwan, director of special criminal investigations for Riau Police, said every forest-fire case would be investigated thoroughly, from its origin to those responsible.

“If there is sufficient evidence of a crime, investigators will immediately pursue legal action against those involved,” he said.

Ridwan said enforcement was being carried out alongside preventive measures, including patrols, early wildfire detection and public awareness campaigns against clearing land by burning.

In Central Kalimantan, police arrested 25 suspects in connection with 62 alleged arson cases as thick haze continued to blanket the province.

Central Kalimantan Police chief Iwan Kurniawan said law enforcement was central to the province’s strategy against forest and land fires, with officers seeking to deter people from setting fires before they spread.

“Law enforcement is Central Kalimantan Police’s commitment to deter offenders and prevent recurring forest and land fires,” he said.

National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo said police had identified 138 suspects in 200 forest and land-fire cases across the country. Of those, 119 were accused of deliberately setting fires and 19 were linked to fires caused by negligence. The source report did not immediately explain the one-person difference from the 139-suspect figure reported elsewhere.

Authorities are also examining possible corporate involvement. Eight companies are already facing fire-related cases, while investigators are assessing possible criminal offences by another 60 companies whose operating licences were recently suspended or revoked over forest fires.

Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry said more than 202,000 hectares of forest had burned this year across 36 of the country’s 38 provinces.

West Kalimantan recorded the largest burned area, at 38,300 hectares, followed by South Papua with 25,800 hectares, East Nusa Tenggara with 19,500 hectares, West Nusa Tenggara with 17,400 hectares and Riau with 15,700 hectares.