LANDAK, thekabarnews.com—The Landak Regency administration in West Kalimantan has declared a 14-day forest and land fire (karhutla) emergency as smoke worsens air quality and prolonged dry weather strains local water supplies.

Landak regent Karolin Margret Natasa announced the measure after a coordination meeting with the Landak Regional Leadership Coordination Forums (Forkopimda) on Tuesday, September 1.

The emergency period runs from September 1 to 14, although officials will review conditions daily.

“We are therefore declaring emergency response status for the next 14 days. We will evaluate it every day to determine whether it should be shortened or extended,” Karolin said.

The decision allows the regency to coordinate personnel and equipment through a joint emergency task force.

The team will involve the local administration, police, military [TNI], Manggala Agni forest fire crews, village authorities and community volunteers.

It will verify hotspots, assess affected areas and identify operational needs, according to Landak News.

Karolin ordered residents to stop all land-clearing fires during the emergency, regardless of their purpose. She said the smoke had reached a level that threatened public health and required immediate action.

“I am asking everyone to stop, whatever the reason, because we have reached a smoke emergency. We can all see and feel how the smoke has surrounded us,” she said.

The regency plans to coordinate with police and prosecutors over enforcement against deliberate burning.

Authorities must still investigate each incident and establish responsibility before imposing criminal penalties.

Karolin also urged residents to wear masks outdoors and exercise caution when burning household waste.

She advised organizers to consider postponing outdoor gatherings while smoke continues to affect the area.

The emergency comes amid wider fire risks across Kalimantan. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) detected an increase in high-confidence hotspots in West Kalimantan from 92 to 140 on August 25.

Satellite monitoring also identified smoke across the province. BMKG said dry-season conditions were increasing fire risks in several parts of Indonesia.

Landak faces funding constraints as it supports firefighters in the field. Karolin said the regency would use its remaining unexpected expenditure budget (BTT) to cover essential supplies and transportation.

“We have unexpected expenditure funds, but the amount is very limited. For now, we will optimize the available budget to support our personnel in the field,” Karolin said.

The drought has also affected clean-water supplies. Karolin said the remaining water depth in the Landak River had fallen to about 80 centimeters, disrupting the local water utility’s distribution capacity.

The Landak administration plans to deploy two tanker trucks to priority areas.

BMKG expects relatively dry conditions to remain a concern in early September, although localized rain may still occur.

The Landak administration will use daily fire, smoke and weather assessments to decide whether to end or extend the emergency.