Jakarta, Aug. 22 -- The Indonesian government has designated ground firefighting operations as the primary strategy for tackling forest and land fires across six provinces in Kalimantan and Sumatra, prioritized for containment.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) said the central authority has urged regional institutions to intensify ground suppression measures by stepping up supplies and personnel.

A coordination meeting on forest and land fire response on Friday (Aug. 21) concluded that "strict monitoring and oversight at the regional level are crucial to preventing hotspots from escalating and averting broader impacts on the environment."

As Indonesia faces increased wildfire risks during t...