JAKARTA, thekabarnews.com—The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) plans to test a nanotechnology-based firefighting liquid called ANTICHAMAS on peatland. This is part of efforts to strengthen the country’s response to forest and land fires (karhutla).

BNPB head Lt. Gen. Suharyanto discussed the proposed trial with representatives of the National Development Planning Ministry/National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) at Graha BNPB in Jakarta on Monday, September 28.

The meeting focused on whether the material could support existing firefighting methods in areas prone to peat fires.

According to BNPB, ANTICHAMAS contains nanoparticles and is designed to penetrate soil and vegetation more deeply than ordinary water.

Its developers claim the material can slow the spread of flames. Additionally, they say it can reduce the risk of fire moving through combustible vegetation.

However, BNPB has not yet confirmed whether the product will work effectively or safely under Indonesia’s peatland conditions.

The BNPB said it would conduct domestic field trials because Indonesia’s soil, vegetation and fire characteristics may differ from those in Brazil. In Brazil, an Indonesian government delegation previously reviewed the technology.

This distinction is important because peat fires can continue smouldering beneath the ground even after visible flames have disappeared.

Dry peat contains accumulated organic material that can carry fire through underground layers. This makes suppression more difficult and allows smoke to persist.

During the severe fires in Kalimantan in August 2026, authorities continued to detect smoke emerging from peat even after crews extinguished flames on the surface.

BNPB data indicated that about 38,310 hectares had burned in West Kalimantan as of August 19. This illustrates the scale of the operational challenge.

Suharyanto said BNPB remained open to working with government agencies, researchers and technology providers to improve disaster management.

He encouraged stakeholders to conduct the ANTICHAMAS trial soon in a fire-prone area.

If tests demonstrate that the material is effective and environmentally safe, authorities could also assess its use in aerial water-bombing operations.

BNPB has not announced a trial location, timetable or procurement plan. It has also not published information on the liquid’s detailed composition, cost or potential effects on peat ecosystems and water sources.

The initiative forms part of the government’s broader forest-fire policy under Presidential Instruction No. 11/2026. Issued on August 31, the instruction strengthens enforcement of restrictions on land clearing by fire. It directs agencies to improve forest and land-fire control, according to the Forestry Ministry’.

ANTICHAMAS therefore remains a technology under assessment rather than an established solution for Indonesian peat fires.

The planned field trial will need to determine its suppression performance and environmental safety before the government considers operational deployment.