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Indonesian police arrest 72 people suspected of starting forest fires
Indonesian police have arrested 72 people suspected of starting forest and peatland fires that have caused choking haze across the region and into Malaysia. The investigation has expanded to include potential corporate involvement, with officials vowing to pursue those who financed or ordered the burning.
Indonesian Police Arrest 72 Suspected of Starting Forest and Peatland Fires
JAKARTA — Indonesian police on Sunday arrested 72 people suspected of starting some of the recent forest and peatland fires that have blanketed parts of the country in a choking haze and sent dense smoke into neighboring Malaysia.
The arrests come as Indonesia battles fires driven by an intensifying El Niño pattern and a prolonged dry season, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). Forest and land fires are a recurring problem in the country and often strain relations with neighboring countries.
Mohammad Irhamni, director of special crimes at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency, said plantation owners and traditional farmers often start fires to clear land for farming. The suspects are being investigated in connection with 89 forest and land fire cases across five provinces on the island of Borneo and four on Sumatra.
Most of the suspects are accused of deliberately burning land to clear areas for plantations at lower cost. Investigators are also tracing financial records to determine whether companies financed or ordered the land clearing, signaling the probe could expand beyond those arrested.
“We will not stop at the perpetrators on the ground,” Irhamni told a news conference in Jakarta. “We will determine who benefited from these activities and who was ultimately behind them.”
The suspects face charges carrying penalties ranging from hefty fines to prison terms of up to 15 years.
President Visits Fire Zones, Vows Accountability
President Prabowo Subianto flew on Saturday to Central Kalimantan province, where more than 7,600 hectares (18,700 acres) have burned, to encourage authorities to bring the haze under control. He promised government resources, including helicopters and water pumps, and vowed to hold accountable any companies found to have contributed to the fires.
“I hope we can control this soon,” Prabowo said during the visit. “We have experienced worse forest and land fires in the past, and we were able to overcome them.”
Prasetyo Hadi, head of the State Secretariat, said at least four companies in West Kalimantan province are under investigation for allegedly using fire to clear land. If proven to have intentionally set fires, the companies could face sanctions including revocation of their operating permits.
Hotspots and Haze Spread Across the Region
Smoke from the fires on Sunday blanketed parts of Borneo, the world’s third-largest island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Indonesia administers about three-quarters of the island.
The Environment Ministry recorded more than 3,700 hotspots on Borneo on Sunday. BNPB chief Suharyanto said fire activity had increased in West, Central, and South Kalimantan provinces, where many blazes worsen due to peatlands.
“Fires that appear extinguished on the surface may still contain embers underneath,” Suharyanto said, stressing that sufficient rainfall is crucial to rewet the peat and fully suppress the fires.
South Sumatra had more than 1,700 hotspots detected on Sunday, with haze reducing visibility in some areas to only 10 meters (33 feet).
Cloud-seeding resumed over Kalimantan on Sunday, with 30 helicopters conducting water-bombing and aerial patrol missions, and another 22 helicopters covering Sumatra — a total of 52 helicopters deployed.
Cross-Border Impact
In Malaysia’s Sarawak state, one district recorded very unhealthy air quality on Friday while eight others posted unhealthy readings. Nearly 600 schools in Sarawak were closed, affecting about 200,000 students, according to the Sarawak government.
Officials say the fires are a reminder of the region’s vulnerability to climate-driven disasters, as Indonesia and its neighbors brace for the ongoing El Niño season.
How each outlet told it
ABC Australia
Framing: Arrests as fires blanket region in smoke — pairs enforcement with regional smoke impact — Measured with climate subhead emphasis: "Record El Niño year forming"
Facts Included:
72 arrested; choking haze
El Niño and dry season; smoke to Malaysia
Brigadier General Irhamni; 89 cases; deliberate plantation clearing; company tracing
Quotes; penalties to 15 years
Prabowo tour; 7,600+ hectares; four companies; permits
Section head 'Record El Niño year forming'
3,700+ and 1,700+ hot spots; Suharyanto as Lieutenant General; visibility 10 metres
Helicopters 30/22; Sarawak schools ~600 / ~200,000 students
Framing: Police arrest 72 suspected of starting forest fires — canonical AP enforcement headline — Measured origin wire: "harmful cloud known as a choking haze"
Facts Included:
72 arrested Sunday; choking haze (AP Jakarta)
El Nino/dry season; smoke to Malaysia (BNPB)
Plantation owners/farmers; 89 cases; deliberate clearing; company tracing
Irhamni quotes; penalties fines to 15 years
Prabowo visit; 7,600 hectares (18,700 acres); resources and company accountability
Prasetyo Hadi: four West Kalimantan companies; permit revocation
3,700+ hot spots; Suharyanto peat quote; South Sumatra 1,700+; 10 meters (33 feet)
Cloud-seeding 30/22 helicopters
Sarawak very unhealthy/unhealthy; ~600 schools; ~200,000 students
Framing: Emphasizes police arrests of 72 suspected of starting forest fires; does not mention haze, Malaysia, or companies — Measured wire style: "huge blazes... triggered a harmful cloud known as a choking haze"
Facts Included:
Indonesian police arrested 72 people suspected of starting forest and peatland fires
Fires driven by intensifying El Nino and prolonged dry season; smoke crossed into Malaysia (BNPB)
Suspects linked to 89 forest and land fire cases across five Borneo and four Sumatra provinces
Most suspects accused of deliberately burning land for cheaper plantation clearing
Investigators tracing whether companies financed or ordered clearing
Penalties up to hefty fines and 15 years prison
President Prabowo Subianto visited Central Kalimantan Saturday; more than 7,600 hectares (18,700 acres) burned
At least four companies in West Kalimantan under investigation; possible permit revocation
Environment Ministry: more than 3,700 hot spots on Borneo; more than 1,700 in South Sumatra; visibility to 10 meters/33 feet
Cloud-seeding: 30 helicopters Kalimantan, 22 Sumatra
Sarawak: very unhealthy air in one district, unhealthy in eight; nearly 600 schools closed; about 200,000 students affected
Framing: Police probe wildfires as arson cases — emphasizes investigation/arson framing over arrest count alone — Measured factual: "harmful cloud known as a choking haze"
Facts Included:
72 arrested Sunday over forest and peatland fires; choking haze
El Nino and dry season; smoke to Malaysia
89 cases five Borneo four Sumatra provinces
Deliberate burning for plantations; company financing probe
Irhamni quotes; penalties to 15 years
Prabowo to Central Kalimantan; more than 18,700 acres burned
Four West Kalimantan companies; permit sanctions possible
3,700+ Borneo hot spots; Suharyanto on peat embers and rainfall
South Sumatra 1,700+ hot spots; visibility 33 feet
Helicopters 30/22; Sarawak schools and air quality
Framing: Arrests as haze spreads to Malaysia — enforcement plus cross-border pollution — Crisis-scale: "cross-border pollution crisis" / "underline the scale of the crisis"
Facts Included:
72 arrested over forest/peatland fires; haze across region
El Nino and dry season; smoke to Malaysia (BNPB)
89 cases five Borneo four Sumatra; company widening possible
Irhamni quotes; up to 15 years
Sunday Borneo blanketed; 3,700+ hot spots; Suharyanto peat quote
South Sumatra 1,700+; visibility 10 metres
Helicopters 30 and 22
Sarawak air quality; ~600 schools; ~200,000 students
Framing: Arrests of 72 over 89 cases amid Malaysia haze — pairs enforcement scale with cross-border haze — Measured summary: "generated dense smoke that crossed into Malaysia"
Facts Included:
72 arrested; dense smoke crossed into Malaysia (AP)
89 cases five Borneo four Sumatra provinces; company financing examination
El Nino and dry season (BNPB); recurring strain on neighbor relations
Irhamni on plantation/farmers and quotes; up to 15 years
Prabowo to Central Kalimantan; more than 7,600 hectares (18,700 acres)
Four companies West Kalimantan; permit revocation possible
3,700+ hot spots Borneo; Suharyanto peat quote
South Sumatra 1,700+ hot spots; visibility 10 metres (33 feet)
30 and 22 helicopters
Sarawak very unhealthy/unhealthy readings (school closure detail shortened vs some wires)
Framing: Names 72 suspects in Kalimantan land fires — geographic and naming/crackdown emphasis; subhead ties to oil palm — Enforcement- and presidency-forward: "crackdown on deliberate land burning"
Facts Included:
Police named 72 suspects in deliberate land burning linked to clearing for oil palm plantations in Kalimantan and Sumatra
President Prabowo ordered rapid disaster response, deploying army battalions and firefighting equipment, especially peatlands
Companies under investigation; possible permit revocations
Bareskrim Aug 23: investigations across five Kalimantan and four Sumatra provinces; satellite hot spots deliberately set
President plans visit to quake-hit East Nusa Tenggara (mentioned)
Framing: Arrests of 72 suspected of starting forest and peatland fires — full suspect/cause in headline — Measured AP-style with photo caption of Palembang haze
Facts Included:
72 arrested Sunday; choking haze from central/western blazes
El Niño and dry season; smoke to Malaysia (BNPB)
89 cases; deliberate plantation clearing; company financial tracing
Irhamni quotes; penalties to 15 years
Prabowo visit; more than 7,600 hectares burned; accountability vow
Four West Kalimantan companies; permit revocation
3,700+ hot spots Borneo; Suharyanto peat embers quote
South Sumatra 1,700+ hot spots; visibility 10 metres
30 and 22 helicopters cloud-seeding/water-bombing
Sarawak air quality and ~600 schools / ~200,000 students
Framing: Arrests as choking haze spreads to Malaysia — dual emphasis on enforcement and cross-border spread — Slightly intensified descriptive: "thick, choking haze"
Facts Included:
72 arrested for deliberately starting fires; choking haze into Malaysia
89 cases across nine provinces (five Borneo, four Sumatra)
Most accused of lower-cost plantation clearing; companies examined
Irhamni quotes; fines and up to 15 years
Cases involved more than 1,000 hectares of burned land under investigation
El Niño and dry season; peatland subsurface burning difficulty
Prabowo Central Kalimantan visit; more than 7,600 hectares burned
3,700+ Borneo and 1,700+ South Sumatra hotspots; visibility 10 metres
52 helicopters total for water-bombing and patrols
Sarawak very unhealthy; nearly 600 schools; about 200,000 students
Framing: Arrests of 72 as haze persists — enforcement plus ongoing haze condition — Compressed brief: stops after company-probe signal; photo of Musi River haze
Facts Included:
72 arrested suspected of starting forest and peatland fires; choking haze in central and west Indonesia
El Nino and prolonged dry season; smoke into Malaysia (BNPB)
Fires regular problem straining neighbor relations
Plantation owners and traditional farmers often start fires (Irhamni)
89 cases five Borneo four Sumatra provinces
Most accused of deliberate burning for lower-cost plantations; financial records traced for company role
Framing: Arrests of 72 as haze persists — same dual arrest/haze persistence angle as companion SCMP item — Brief truncated: ends at probe-expansion signal
Facts Included:
72 arrested; choking haze central and west Indonesia
El Nino and dry season; smoke to Malaysia (BNPB)
Neighbor relations strain note
Irhamni on plantation owners/farmers
89 cases five Borneo four Sumatra
Deliberate burning for cheaper plantations; investigators tracing company finance/orders
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimIndonesian police on Sunday arrested 72 people suspected of starting forest and peatland fires.
ClaimMohammad Irhamni, director of special crimes at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency, said plantation owners and traditional farmers often start fires to clear land for farming.
ClaimThe 72 arson suspects were being investigated in connection with 89 forest and land fire cases across five provinces on Borneo and four on Sumatra.
ClaimInvestigators were tracing financial records to determine whether companies financed or ordered the land clearing, and the probe could expand beyond those arrested.
ClaimMohammad Irhamni said: "We will not stop at the perpetrators on the ground. We will determine who benefited from these activities and who was ultimately behind them."
ClaimPresident Prabowo promised government resources including helicopters and water pumps to contain the fires and vowed to hold accountable any companies found to have contributed to the fires.
ClaimPresident Prabowo said during the visit: "I hope we can control this soon. We have experienced worse forest and land fires in the past, and we were able to overcome them."
ClaimPrasetyo Hadi, head of the State Secretariat, said at least four companies in West Kalimantan province are under investigation for allegedly using fire to clear land.
ClaimIf the four West Kalimantan companies are proven to have intentionally set fires, they could face sanctions including revocation of their operating permits.
ClaimBNPB chief Suharyanto said fire activity had increased in West, Central and South Kalimantan provinces on Borneo, where many blazes worsen due to peatlands.
ClaimSuharyanto said fires that appear extinguished on the surface may still contain embers underneath, so sufficient rainfall is crucial to rewet the peat and fully suppress the fires.
ClaimCloud-seeding resumed over Kalimantan on Sunday with 30 helicopters for water-bombing and aerial patrol missions, and another 22 helicopters covering Sumatra.
ClaimPresident Prabowo ordered a rapid disaster response, deploying army battalions and firefighting equipment to control spreading fires, especially in Kalimantan’s peatlands.
ClaimBareskrim on Aug 23 said investigations across five Kalimantan and four Sumatra provinces found evidence suggesting fires detected through satellite-monitored hot spots had been deliberately set by the suspects.
16 outlets · 17 articles consulted: ABC Australia, Associated Press, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Arkansas Online, The Canberra Times, CNA, India Today, Los Angeles Times, The Manila Times, Outlook India, PerthNow, The Straits Times, The Globe and Mail, The Times of India, South China Morning Post, The Hindu — World32 claims extractedVersion 6Written 2026-08-24