Jakarta, Aug. 31 -- The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) is intensifying ground and air operations to tackle forest and land fires in six priority provinces: Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.

Berton SP Panjaitan, Acting Head of the BNPB Communication Center, said ground operations involve patrols and field checks to map hotspots and active fire points.

"We have a two-pronged strategy to tackle these fires. The first is through ground operations," Panjaitan said in Jakarta on Monday.

According to him, the results of patrols and field checks serve as a basis for personnel to conduct firefighting and subsequent cooling operations after the flames are extinguished.

To ensure w...