Land Fire Surge 2025: Hot Weather Narrative Masks Government and Corporate Accountability

Between January and August 2025, Madani Berkelanjutan recorded 89,330 hectares of Indicative Burned Area (Area Indikatif Terbakar/AIT) across oil palm HGU concessions, oil and gas, mining, and PBPH sites nationwide. Meanwhile, in peatland ecosystems, Pantau Gambut identified 9,336 fire hotspots within HGU and PBPH areas during the same period.

The Minister’s claims become even less relevant when considering that the number of fires in 2025 exceeded those in 2023, a year marked by an El Niño event in Indonesia. Madani Berkelanjutan noted 99,099 hectares burned in July 2025, which is nearly double the 53,973 hectares recorded in July 2023. An even more extreme increase occurred in fire hotspots within Peat Hydrological Units (Kesatuan Hidrologis Gambut/KHG), which rose from 3,157 in July 2023 to 13,608 in July 2025.

In July 2025, data from Pantau Gambut indicated that PT Sumatera Riang Lestari held the PBPH concession with the largest burned area within Peat Hydrological Units (PHU), covering 4,787 hectares. Meanwhile, Madani Berkelanjutan recorded the PBPH concession outside PHU with the largest Indicative Burned Area at PT Sumalindo Lestari Jaya II, reaching 1,100 hectares. Among PHU concessions, PT Sumatera Unggul Makmur 2 accounted for the most significant fire case within KHG, with 260.5 hectares affected, while PT Mitra Austral Sejahtera had 600 hectares burned outside PHU.

“Forestry Minister’s statements attributing forest and land fires to extreme weather are mistaken and effectively justify the wrongful practices carried out by corporations operating within PHU areas,” explained Putra Saptian, Campaigner at Pantau Gambut.

Putra added, “The government should focus more on protecting peatland ecosystems and enforce the law consistently. Many companies have converted peatlands, causing forest and land fires. When the Minister of Forestry blames the weather, it is the same as relinquishing his responsibility.”

At the provincial level, West Kalimantan experienced the highest surge in forest and land fires during July and August 2025. In just two months, the Indicative Burned Area (Area Indikatif Terbakar/AIT) in the province increased from 1,300 hectares in June to 40,000 hectares in August. During the same period, a similar upward trend was observed within Peat Hydrological Units (PHU), where fire hotspots rose from 327 to 7,483.

Sadam Richwanudin, Legal Specialist at Madani Berkelanjutan, expressed concern over the high incidence of forest and land fires in protected areas and peatland cover. “The surge in fires during July and August was actually predictable,” he explained. “Policymakers should have taken mitigation measures to prevent the numbers from reaching this scale. We are particularly concerned that this year’s fires affected peatland and protected areas, ecosystems that should have been safeguarded.” Sadam also urged that fire alert policies, such as those already implemented in South Kalimantan, be adopted by other provinces with high fire risk.

Sadam added, “We urge law enforcement to continue taking action against companies whose concession areas have burned. Moreover, we adhere to the principle of strict liability, which obliges companies to take full responsibility for their concession areas.”

Relying on weather as the sole explanation for the massive forest and land fires is a dangerous narrative. This argument not only ignores field evidence showing the dominance of exploitative activities but also serves as a pretext for the government to evade its responsibility.

Instead of taking firm action against concession holders, the government has chosen the easiest path by blaming natural conditions, portraying itself as powerless in the face of climate change. In reality, the solution to forest and land fires is clearly within reach: strict monitoring and serious law enforcement against corporations that repeatedly commit the same offenses.