Jakarta, ThedailyID — A peatland fire approached the Palangka Raya City Government office complex in Central Kalimantan on Thursday, October 22, 2026. Flames came within a few meters of office buildings, while thick smoke entered civil servants’ workspaces.
The fire spread across peatland near the complex on Jalan Soekarno. Officials feared it could reach the main buildings as smoke filled nearby offices.
Palangka Raya Public Order Agency chief Berlianto suspected the fire came from remaining hotspots from an earlier blaze behind the city’s National Narcotics Agency (BNN) office.
“Looking at the direction, it actually came from the site of yesterday’s incident, precisely in the area behind the Palangka Raya City BNN office,” Berlianto said on Thursday, as quoted by local media.
Firefighters had been on standby since the flames were small. However, strong winds initially prevented crews from approaching the fire safely.
“We were ready to enter when the fire was still small. But the wind was too strong, so we were facing it head-on,” Berlianto said.
Crews intensified their response after the wind weakened and changed direction. The Palangka Raya Public Order Agency and other local government departments joined the wildfire task force to extinguish the flames and wet the surrounding area.
Although firefighters brought the flames under control, smoke continued to pose a problem because of the fire’s proximity to the offices. Officials also cooled the peatland to prevent hidden embers underground from reigniting.
The suspected link to an earlier fire has raised concerns about the risk of remaining hotspots. Authorities need to ensure burned areas are fully extinguished to prevent further fires from threatening nearby buildings.
