Inp.polri.go.id - Balikpapan. The East Kalimantan Regional Police tested a firebreak method in the Sepinggan Asri Housing area, Balikpapan, on Thursday (27/8/2026) to restrict the spread of forest and land fires (karhutla).

Officers applied water-based semi-chemical fire retardants, Hartindo AF31 and F351, to create containment boundaries on non-peatland terrain, aiming to slow fire propagation across dry areas during high winds.

"Handling is not just about extinguishing fires; we also need to limit their movement so they do not spread," said East Kalimantan Police Chief Inspector General Endar Priantoro. "If the results prove effective, we will trial this method in other required areas."

He inspected the test alongside Mulawarman Military Commander Major General Krido Pramono and local disaster management officials. Authorities estimated that 3 to 4 hectares burned at the Sepinggan Asri site, bringing East Kalimantan's total burned land area to approximately 75.6 hectares as of 27 August 2026.

Police continue to investigate the cause of the fire while evaluating the firebreak method for broader deployment.

(mg/ek/pr/rs)