Japan's Chinook Helicopters To Support Indonesia Wildfire Battle

By Nik Nurfaqih Nik Wil

JAKARTA, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- Japan's three CH-47 Chinook helicopters will support Indonesia's efforts to combat forest and land fires for 21 days, as authorities intensify operations across fire-hit parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan.

National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre acting head Berton Panjaitan said the helicopters arrived aboard tank landing ship JS Kunisaki at Kijing Port in West Kalimantan on Thursday, with water-bombing operations expected to begin on Friday or Saturday.

“The mission is scheduled to last for 21 days to assist all the firefighting teams on the ground. Test flights are currently being conducted at Supadio Airport in Pontianak,” he told an online press conference on Thursday.

Berton said between 180 and 300 Japanese personnel are accompanying the deployment, with preparations under way before the helicopters are sent to priority fire areas.

The Japanese assistance will reinforce firefighting operations across six priority provinces namely, South Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan with West Kalimantan and South Sumatra still recording relatively extensive fire areas.

He said more than 421 hectares of burning land were extinguished on Wednesday, with 43,951 Indonesian personnel deployed in ground operations, supported by 17 aerial patrol aircraft and 38 water-bombing aircraft.

Berton said operations remained focused on active fires, particularly on peatlands where fires can burn below the surface, as well as areas near airports and settlements, locations with a high risk of fire spreading, and places that are difficult to reach or have limited water sources.

Meanwhile, Health Ministry official Widyawati said 113,336 cumulative cases of acute respiratory infection had been reported across seven fire-affected provinces as of Wednesday, including 4,080 cases recorded that day.

She said 26,545 of the cumulative cases involved children aged five and below, with health authorities also monitoring smoke-related conditions including pneumonia, asthma and eye and skin irritation.

Widyawati said air pollution remained severe in parts of Kalimantan, with several areas reaching the highest category of Indonesia's air pollution index, while the ministry has distributed more than 980,000 masks across affected areas.

-- BERNAMA