West Java Forest Fires Burn Nearly 200 Hectares in 2026

August 25, 2026 | 12:17 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The forest and land fires in West Java, Indonesia, have affected nearly 200 hectares so far this year. Sukabumi Regency has seen the largest total area burned, while Sumedang Regency has recorded the highest frequency of incidents.

Based on data updated as of August 24, 2026, there have been 132 recorded incidents of forest and land fires, with a total burned area of approximately 196.40 hectares. These fires are spread across 19 regencies and cities—specifically affecting 153 villages or urban wards within 91 districts.

"So, what requires attention is not just the total area burned, but also the fact that the fires are widely distributed across West Java," Teten Ali Mulku Engkun, Head of the West Java Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), told Tempo on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

According to Teten, this year's fires in West Java began on February 25, 2026, with a land fire in Bandung Regency. Subsequently—mirroring trends in other parts of Indonesia—the frequency of incidents has intensified since June.

Teten added that with the dry season ongoing and its peak period extending through September, there remains a need to stay vigilant regarding potential new incidents. "The BMKG [Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency] predicts that most areas will experience the peak of the dry season in August," he said.

Sumedang Regency recorded the highest number of incidents—20 fires across 21 villages in 11 districts, affecting a total area of 21.68 hectares. Majalengka Regency recorded 15 incidents (25.91 hectares), Bandung Regency had 13 fires (16.80 hectares), and Sukabumi Regency had 12 incidents (49.20 hectares)—the latter representing the largest total burned area to date.

Other areas prone to forest and land fires include Subang, Kuningan, and Purwakarta, each recording between 10 and 11 incidents, with burned areas ranging from 8.22 to 23.80 hectares. Teten stated that, generally, fires in West Java frequently occur in areas with dry land, scrub, grass, leaf litter, waste disposal sites, and highly flammable vegetation. The causes vary. "However, human activity can be a dominant factor—specifically waste burning, land clearing via burning, cigarette butts, and other activities," he said.

One example occurred in Subang Regency on August 9, 2026, when a waste fire spread to a bamboo grove, burning approximately two hectares of land. According to Teten's records, no forest or land fires have spread to residential areas so far.

In addition to forest and land fires, the impact of drought is also widespread across West Java. As of August 24, 588,534 individuals—or 181,484 families—across 440 villages and urban wards in 189 districts have been affected. Areas with significant numbers of affected residents include Bogor Regency (200,273 people), followed by Bekasi Regency (72,165), Purwakarta Regency (49,593), Bandung Regency (31,769), Tasikmalaya Regency (29,014), Sukabumi City (31,037), and Karawang Regency (24,315).

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