JAKARTA, thekabarnews.com—President Prabowo Subianto has ordered authorities to accelerate Indonesia’s forest and land fire (karhutla) response. Meanwhile, police investigate 98 reports involving corporations, combining emergency operations with stronger law enforcement.

Prabowo issued the instruction during a limited Cabinet meeting at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday, Oct. 19. The president instructed state agencies to conduct a massive, measurable and coordinated operation. This involved the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), regional administrations and local communities.

“The President also said, ‘Do not wait for rain; act immediately.’” Coordinating Political and Security Minister Dudung Abdurachman made this statement after the meeting.

The government plans to strengthen aerial operations by deploying Hercules aircraft to support dry-ice dispersal. Authorities have also used conventional cloud-seeding materials and water-bombing helicopters in areas where fires remain active.

BNPB has focused its response in six priority provinces: Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan.

The agency said it had combined ground firefighting with weather-modification operations and aerial water drops to prevent fires and reduce smoke exposure.

In Riau, one helicopter completed 41 water drops and helped extinguish two hectares of burning land in Bengkalis, according to a BNPB operational update. In addition, ground teams extinguished another hectare in Bengkalis and Indragiri Hulu.

BNPB also deployed one helicopter for 38 water drops in Jambi. There, aerial operations extinguished three hectares in Muaro Jambi and East Tanjung Jabung. Furthermore, ground crews tackled another 27 hectares across seven regencies.

In Central Kalimantan, crews extinguished 56.43 hectares across several areas and another 36.5 hectares in Tanjung Puting National Park. Two helicopters conducted 38 water drops, while aircraft spread out 2,000 kilograms of sodium chloride during two weather-modification sorties.

West Kalimantan received 1,000 kilograms of sodium chloride over Ketapang and North Kayong. BNPB subsequently reported rainfall in several regencies, while ground teams extinguished 41.7 hectares.

The agency continues to assess weather modification alongside other atmospheric factors when evaluating operational results.

Alongside the emergency response, the government is preparing legal action against parties suspected of causing fires. National Police Chief Gen. Suyudi Ario Seto said investigators had advanced 98 police reports involving corporations to the investigation stage.

“Among the 98 corporate-related cases we are investigating, there are indications of foreign involvement,” Suyudi said.

He added that investigators were deciding whether the cases involved foreign investment or other foreign parties.

The 98 reports do not mean that investigators have convicted 98 companies. Police must collect sufficient evidence before naming suspects. They will trace responsibility to company owners or shareholders where the evidence supports such action.

As of Oct. 13, investigators had named nine suspects in corporate-related cases and 223 suspects in cases involving individuals, according to an official Polri statement.

The government’s strategy now rests on two parallel tracks: extinguishing active fires quickly and proving legal responsibility through evidence.

Its effectiveness will depend on whether operations produce sustained reductions in fires and whether investigators pursue proven violations consistently.