Antara News·Indonesia·Monday, November 9, 2026 at 09:52 PM UTC

East Kalimantan pilots RI-Australia fire management efforts

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Arumanto, Cindy Frishanti Octavia

Balikpapan (ANTARA) - Governor of East Kalimantan, Rudy Mas'ud, stated that East Kalimantan Province has become a pilot project for aerial forest and land fire suppression, involving a firefighting team from Australia.

“We express our appreciation to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) for collaborating with the Australian Government to assist in handling forest and land fires in the East Kalimantan region,” Mas’ud said in Balikpapan on Monday.

He made the remarks when he was inspecting the fire-suppression operations command post at the Dhomber Air Force Base in Balikpapan.

The Governor visited the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) team stationed at the air operations command post, located at the Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman (SAMS) Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan, joined by the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Roderick Brazier.

The Governor commended the Australian Government for deploying its team for a seven-day period, from November 6 to November 12, 2026, to mitigate forest and land fires across several regencies in East Kalimantan.

"The fire-suppression efforts are proceeding well and smoothly, without any obstacles. The aircraft are remarkable; they are specially designed with seating only for the pilot and technician, leaving space for a large-capacity water tank," Mas’ud said.

He hopes that the aerial fire-suppression program could be sustained as a proactive measure against the threats posed by the El Niño phenomenon and the annual dry season, ensuring that the impact of such fires does not spread further.

To support this operation, the Australian Government has deployed 20 personnel from the NSW RFS along with two aircraft.

The fleet includes a C-130 Hercules, nicknamed "Barder," equipped with a 15,000-liter capacity for water-bombing operations, as well as a C-560 Cessna, nicknamed "Bad Dog," used for operational documentation purposes.

On the same occasion, the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Roderick Brazier, expressed his gratitude for the support provided by the East Kalimantan Provincial Government and all relevant agencies in mobilizing personnel and equipment.

"I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the extraordinary support provided by the East Kalimantan Provincial Government throughout the forest and land fire response operations," Brazier said.

According to Brazier, synergy in the field was a crucial factor in successfully curbing the spread of the fires, while simultaneously protecting the public and vital infrastructure.

The collaboration is expected to further strengthen the Indonesia-Australia partnership through the exchange of experience in disaster management.

Meanwhile, the leader of the NSW RFS (New South Wales Rural Fire Service) team from Australia, Mathew Reeves, explained that his team conducted five flights per day, with operational durations reaching up to 10 hours.

"Fire-suppression operations took place from 08:30 to 17:00 Central Indonesian Time (WITA). We prioritized extinguishing fires that were approaching residential areas, specifically those within one kilometer of such settlements," Reeves said.

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