Fires burn hundreds of hectares close to under-construction city amid severe dry season worsened by El Niño.
Wildfires have spread into areas surrounding Indonesia’s planned new capital, Nusantara, prompting officials overseeing the project to urge emergency water-bombing and cloud-seeding operations.
The largest blaze near the site has scorched around 300 hectares at Bukit Suharto forest park, about 50 kilometres from the city centre. In total, fires had burned approximately 400 hectares in the vicinity of Nusantara as of early September, according to Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency.
Until recently, the eastern part of Borneo, where Nusantara is being built, had remained relatively unaffected while fires raged elsewhere on the island and in Sumatra. The spread of flames closer to the new capital has raised fresh concerns for the multi-billion-dollar project.
Indonesia Battles Worsening Wildfires:
Indonesia is confronting its most difficult dry season in a decade, intensified by a strong El Niño weather pattern. Forest and land fires across the hardest-hit provinces in Kalimantan and Sumatra have already affected more than 73,000 hectares, contributing to hazardous haze that has blanketed parts of the region and drifted into neighbouring countries.
Agus Riyanto, director for emergency response at the disaster mitigation agency, confirmed that authorities have requested additional aerial support for the Nusantara area. A helicopter is being deployed from neighbouring South Kalimantan to conduct water-bombing operations.
Indonesia currently has 53 aircraft engaged in firefighting and cloud-seeding efforts nationwide. Japan has also provided aircraft and personnel to assist.
Wildfires Threaten Indonesia’s New Capital:
Nusantara, located in East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, is being developed as Indonesia’s new administrative capital to replace Jakarta, which faces chronic issues including congestion, flooding and land subsidence. Construction of the planned green city has already encountered delays, budget pressures and questions about environmental sustainability and water security.
The arrival of wildfires near the site adds another layer of complexity to the ambitious project. Officials have emphasised that response teams are prioritising containment to prevent further spread toward core government and infrastructure zones.
As firefighting efforts intensify, the broader crisis continues to affect air quality, public health and daily life across parts of Indonesia and neighbouring Southeast Asian nations. Authorities say they are monitoring the situation closely as the dry season persists.