Emergencies & environment
Forest and land fires in Indonesia: reporting fires, the ban on burning and protecting your family from smoke
Reporting forest and land fires in Indonesia, what SiPongi+ hotspots mean, the ban on burning to clear land, penalties under Law 1/2026 and coping with smoke.
English edition. Official forms and source documents may be in Indonesian.
QUICK ANSWER
How do I report a forest or land fire, what is the penalty for burning land, and how do I protect my family from smoke?
Report any smoke or fire, however small, to the local disaster agency (BPBD) or fire service, as the national disaster agency BNPB advises; if fire is approaching homes, call 113 or 112. Clearing land by burning is banned by Law 32/2009 and, for smallholders and plantation companies, by Law 39/2014; since 2 January 2026 the penalty is up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VI (Rp2,000,000,000) under Law 1/2026. A hotspot on a satellite map is not always a fire, and to protect your family from smoke, check the ISPU air quality reading and wear a respirator mask when you have to go out.
See 18 official references ↓See the hotspot map on SiPongi+ ↗sipongi.gakkum.kehutanan.go.id
Guide contents
What to have ready
- A phone with a map app so you can share the location of the fire or smoke.
- The numbers 112 and 113, your regency or city BPBD office and your village or kelurahan office.
- N95 or KN95 respirator masks for family members who have to go out when it is smoky.
- Access to the SiPongi+ hotspot map, BMKG forest and land fire information and the ISPU portal.
- A go-bag with important documents and regular medicines if you live near forest or peatland that is prone to fire.
How to report and prepare for forest fires
Do not burn to clear land or tidy your yard
BNPB asks people not to clear land or clean their yards by burning, and to make sure cigarette ends are completely out before throwing them away. In the dry season, BMKG also asks people not to burn rubbish, especially on peatland, scrub and forest.
Report any smoke or fire, however small
BNPB asks residents to report any smoke or fire, however small, straight away to the local BPBD or fire service. If the fire is already close to homes or a settlement, call the fire service on 113 or the emergency number 112.
Give a clear location
Give the village, district and nearest landmark, or send a location pin from a map app. Describe how big the smoke or fire is, the wind direction if you can see it, and whether homes, schools or people are nearby. Only send photos if you can take them from a safe distance.
Keep away from the fire and follow officials’ instructions
Do not go near the fire or thick smoke to take pictures or watch. If officials or the BPBD ask residents to evacuate, follow their instructions and take your go-bag.
Follow hotspots and air quality
Look at the hotspot map on SiPongi+ (sipongi.gakkum.kehutanan.go.id) and BMKG’s forest and land fire information, and the ISPU reading at ispu.kemenlh.go.id. A hotspot is a satellite signal, not proof of a fire.
Protect your family from smoke
When the air is smoky, spend less time outdoors, close doors and windows and wear a well-fitting respirator mask if you must go out. Watch children, pregnant women, older people and anyone with asthma or heart disease; go to a puskesmas or A&E if someone becomes breathless or has chest pain.
Cost of reporting and checking hotspots
Free. Calls to 112 and 113 are free under Communications Minister Regulation 14/2018, and the SiPongi+ hotspot map, BMKG forest and land fire information and the ISPU portal cost nothing to use.
| Law | Applies to | Text before adjustment | In force since 2 January 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law 32/2009 (environment) Article 69(1)(h) and Article 108 | Everyone | 3–10 years in prison and a fine of Rp3,000,000,000–Rp10,000,000,000 | Up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VI (Rp2,000,000,000) |
| Law 39/2014 (plantations) Article 56(1) and Article 108 | Plantation businesses: smallholders and/or plantation companies | Up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp10,000,000,000 | Up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VI (Rp2,000,000,000) |
The fines in the table are maximums. Under Article 79 of the Criminal Code (Law 1/2023), a category VI fine is Rp2,000,000,000. Law 1/2026 on criminal penalty adjustment, in force since 2 January 2026, removed the special minimum penalties in these laws and changed the combined prison-and-fine penalties to “and/or”.
How to report fire, smoke and hotspots
Throughout the 2026 dry season, BNPB asked residents to report any smoke or fire, however small, straight away to the BPBD (regional disaster management agency) or the local fire service, so it can be dealt with as early as possible. Reports can also go to local officials, such as the village or kelurahan office.
For a fire threatening homes or a settlement, call the fire service on 113 or the emergency number 112. BNPB also runs a 24-hour operations centre (Pusdalops) with Call Center 117. In forests and on land, firefighting is carried out by teams including Manggala Agni, the forest fire control brigade of the Ministry of Forestry, under its Directorate of Forest Fire Control.
We found no national public reporting channel for forest and land fires in the form of an app or form. So save the numbers of your regency or city BPBD and local fire service before the dry season.
A hotspot is not always a fire
A hotspot is a surface temperature anomaly detected by satellite. BMKG detects them with VIIRS and MODIS sensors on the NOAA-20, S-NPP, Terra and Aqua satellites. A national hotspot map is also available on SiPongi+, the forest and land fire monitoring system run by the Directorate of Forest Fire Control in the Ministry of Forestry’s Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement.
BNPB stresses that one hotspot does not automatically mean one fire, so each one needs to be checked on the ground. Equally, smoke or fire that you can see should still be reported even if it is not yet on the map.
BMKG publishes forest and land fire information, including hotspot distribution and fire weather indices, and its weekly outlook includes high-confidence hotspots and the spread of smoke.
The ban on burning land in the Environment Law
Article 69(1)(h) of Law 32/2009 on Environmental Protection and Management bans everyone from clearing land by burning. As amended by Law 6/2023, paragraph (2) says the ban does not apply to communities that do so while paying close attention to local wisdom (kearifan lokal) in their area.
The official explanation limits this local-wisdom exception: burning no more than 2 hectares per household, to plant local crop varieties, surrounded by a firebreak so the fire cannot spread to the surrounding area. Outside those limits, the ban still applies.
Breaches are covered by Article 108. As adjusted by Law 1/2026 (Annex I, item 70), the penalty is up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VI (Rp2,000,000,000); the minimum of 3 years and Rp3 billion in the old text has been removed. If the offence is committed by, for or on behalf of a business, charges can be brought against the business and/or the person who gave the order (Article 116), and the business can face additional penalties such as confiscation of profits, closure of premises or an order to repair the damage (Article 119).
The ban for smallholders and plantation companies
Law 39/2014 on Plantations, which replaced Law 18/2004, bans every plantation business from clearing and/or working land by burning (Article 56(1)). A plantation business means a smallholder (pekebun) and/or a plantation company; a smallholder is an individual Indonesian citizen running a plantation business below a set size.
Article 56(2) also requires every plantation business to have systems, equipment and infrastructure to control land and plantation fires. Law 6/2023 on Job Creation amended a number of articles in the Plantations Law, but not Articles 56 and 108.
Breaching Article 56(1) is punishable under Article 108. As adjusted by Law 1/2026 (Annex I, item 113), the penalty is up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VI (Rp2,000,000,000), replacing the old wording of “up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp10 billion”.
Protecting your family from smoke
Smoke from forest and land fires mainly contains very fine PM2.5 particles that can reach deep into the lungs. Check the ISPU (Air Pollutant Standard Index) reading for the nearest station on the Ministry of Environment’s ISPU portal; what each category means, which masks to use and how to keep the air clean at home are explained in our air quality and haze guide.
The most vulnerable are children, pregnant women, older people and anyone with asthma, lung disease or heart disease. Go to a puskesmas or hospital straight away if someone becomes breathless, has a persistent cough, chest pain or badly irritated eyes, and call 119 in an emergency.
Things to check carefully
- Burning rubbish, dry leaves or crop waste in the dry season, even a small amount in your own yard.
- Throwing away cigarette ends that are not completely out near scrub, farmland or peat.
- Putting off a report because the fire or smoke looks small; BNPB asks for reports however small.
- Assuming every hotspot on the map is a fire, or ignoring smoke because it is not yet on the map.
- Thinking the local-wisdom exception allows any burning; the limit is 2 hectares per household, for local crop varieties, with a firebreak.
- Going near a fire or thick smoke to take photos or videos.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I report a forest or land fire?
To the local BPBD or fire service, as BNPB advises, or to the village or kelurahan officials. If the fire threatens homes or a settlement, call 113 or 112. Give a clear location and say how big the smoke or fire looks.
Which emergency numbers can I call in a fire?
113 for the fire service and 112 as the single emergency number where it is active; both are free. BNPB also runs a 24-hour operations centre with Call Center 117. Save your regency or city BPBD number too.
Does a hotspot on the map mean there is a fire?
Not necessarily. A hotspot is a surface temperature anomaly detected by satellite, and BNPB says one hotspot does not automatically mean one fire, so it needs a ground check. Smoke or fire you can see yourself should still be reported.
Is clearing land by burning banned?
Yes. Article 69(1)(h) of Law 32/2009 bans everyone from clearing land by burning, and Article 56(1) of Law 39/2014 bans smallholders and plantation companies from clearing or working land by burning. The only exception in the Environment Law is local wisdom, with strict limits.
What does “local wisdom” mean in the burning ban?
According to the explanation of Article 69(2) of the Environment Law as amended by Law 6/2023, local wisdom means burning no more than 2 hectares per household, to plant local crop varieties, surrounded by a firebreak so the fire cannot spread. This exception does not appear in the Plantations Law.
What is the penalty for burning land now?
Since 2 January 2026, under Law 1/2026, up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VI (Rp2,000,000,000), for both Article 108 of the Environment Law and Article 108 of the Plantations Law. The minimum penalty in the old Environment Law text has been removed.
Does the Plantations Law ban apply to small farmers?
Yes, if they count as smallholders (pekebun). Law 39/2014 defines a plantation business as a smallholder and/or a plantation company, and a smallholder as an individual Indonesian citizen running a plantation business below a set size. The burning ban in Article 56(1) applies to both.
How can I protect my family from forest fire smoke?
Check the ISPU reading for the nearest station, spend less time outdoors, close doors and windows and wear a well-fitting respirator mask such as an N95 or KN95 if you must go out. Go to a puskesmas or hospital if someone becomes breathless, has a persistent cough or chest pain, and call 119 in an emergency.
Sources and review
Editorial review of public information: . This is not a review by an agency officer or a professional adviser. Reviewed by Kaiser Khan, publisher of Panduan Warga. Official document titles are retained below.
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- BNPB: perkembangan situasi bencana 11 Oktober 2026 ↗www.bnpb.go.id · Accessed 14 October 2026
- BNPB: koordinasi puncak karhutla 2026 dengan pemegang HGU (7 September 2026) ↗www.bnpb.go.id · Accessed 14 October 2026
- BNPB: Pusdalops 24 jam, Call Center 117 ↗www.bnpb.go.id · Accessed 14 October 2026
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- JDIH BPK: Permenkominfo 14/2018 tentang nomor pelayanan darurat ↗peraturan.bpk.go.id · Accessed 14 October 2026
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- Kemenkes: pakai masker dan pantau kualitas udara saat asap karhutla (21 Agustus 2026) ↗kemkes.go.id · Accessed 14 October 2026
- Kemenkes: perlindungan kelompok rentan saat karhutla (26 Agustus 2026) ↗kemkes.go.id · Accessed 14 October 2026
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