TEMPO.CO, Palembang - South Sumatra has recorded the highest number of hotspots in July this year, even surpassing the record of the past decade. Hotspots, based on satellite imagery, are an early indication of forest and land fires (karhutla) as the monitored temperatures are higher than their surroundings.
By July 27 alone, the number has reached 1,287 hotspots. "The highest number occurred on July 20, which was 214 spots in a day. There were four other days that also exceeded 100 spots. Only July 5 was nil," said the Head of the Emergency Response Division of the South Sumatra Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Sudirman, on Monday, July 28, 2025.
He compared it with previous months. In May, there were 523 hotspots, which increased to 576 in June. At the beginning of the year, the hotspot count was relatively low, with 45 spots in January, 66 in February, 100 in March, and 216 in April. "This data shows a consistent upward trend, especially since the onset of dry season," he added.
However, according to Sudirman, from 2015 to 2024, the number of hotspots in South Sumatra in July averaged hundreds. The data trend also indicates that the spike in hotspots generally occurs from August to October, followed by a decline. "This means that the potential for an increase in hotspots is still high in the coming months," he said.
Sudirman stated that hotspot monitoring is the main reference for the Forest and Land Fire Task Force (Karhutla) to determine anticipatory and mitigation measures. Each monitored hotspot will be immediately checked in the field. "If a fire or active hotspots are found, immediate extinguishing will be carried out by the field team," Sudirman said.
Ogan Ilir, The Red Zone for Forest and Land Fires
From the hotspot data, nearly 100 are known to be active fire points for forest and land fires. Sudirman stated that fires were observed in 11 out of 17 regencies/cities. "From January 1 to July 26, 2025, the incidents of karhutla have reached 98 times in various regions of South Sumatra," he said.
Sudirman added that Ogan Ilir Regency had the highest number of forest and land fire incidents, which was 56. Ogan Ilir was designated as a red zone. Within it, the North Indralaya District recorded the highest number, with 28 incidents.
Aside from Ogan Ilir, other areas are classified as yellow zones. These include Ogan Komering Ilir Regency (OKI) with 9 incidents, Musi Banyuasin Regency (Muba) also recorded 9 incidents. Meanwhile, Muara Enim Regency had 7 incidents and Banyuasin Regency recorded 6 incidents.
In Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir Regency (PALI), there were 5 forest and land fire incidents. Prabumulih City had 2 incidents. Musi Rawas Regency, Empat Lawang, Lahat, and Palembang City each recorded one karhutla incident.
However, Sudirman mentioned that they have not yet received precise data on the extent of burned land or concessions. "For now, we are still waiting for data from the Forest Fire Control Agency of the Ministry of Forestry," he said.
Editor's Choice: South Sumatra Records 1,137 Hotspots, Highest Count of 2025 in July
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