Antara News·Indonesia·Monday, October 19, 2026 at 03:36 AM UTC

Wildfire burns more than three hectares in South Kalimantan

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Tumpal AA, Rahmad Nasution

Barito Kuala, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - A wildfire burned more than three hectares along H.M. Yunus Street in Sungai Rasau, Barito Kuala District, South Kalimantan, on Sunday night (Oct 18), as flames still burning at 10:45 p.m. local time.

The blaze was about 100 to 200 meters from the main road linking Banjarmasin with the Banua Anam area in northern South Kalimantan.

The fire had not reached the road but threatened nearby homes, most of which line the route.

Emergency personnel arrived to monitor the blaze and prevent it from spreading to houses and roadside power lines.

Nazar, a 23-year-old local resident, said the fire first appeared around sunset and flared up again after the evening prayer.

"This is the first time a fire has broken out at this spot, right beside the road. Many residents are keeping watch," Nazar said.

The fire attracted the attention of passing motorists, while local residents stood watch to prevent the flames from reaching their homes.

Since the burned land lies close to homes along a major route connecting Banjarmasin with several districts in Banua Anam, preventing the flames from spreading was a priority for personnel at the scene.

Amid wildfire haze in recent days, Barito Kuala's Air Pollution Standard Index (ISPU) has remained in the black, hazardous zone, with the Environment Ministry monitoring showing dangerous levels of PM2.5 pollution.

At 10 p.m. on Sunday, the ministry's monitoring recorded PM2.5 concentrations of 307 micrograms per cubic meter in Barito Kuala, a hazardous level far above the 0–15.5 microgram range for good air quality.

South Kalimantan's Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) recorded 467 wildfire incidents in Barito Kuala as of October 14, 2026, affecting 3,276.82 hectares.

Across South Kalimantan, BPBD recorded 4,926 wildfire incidents affecting 27,202.97 hectares as of October 14, 2026.

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