In brief
BRIN, guided by President Prabowo Subianto, is building and validating fire‑prediction models that could warn authorities weeks before fires ignite. Daily hotspot monitoring from satellite imagery is shared with disaster and forestry agencies, while new research on fire spread will improve prevention plans.
Jakarta, Oct. 28, 2026 – Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) announced it is working on tools that could forecast forest and land fires three to six months in advance, a move supported by President Prabowo Subianto.
BRIN’s chief of research, Arif Satria, said the program is “already underway” and that the agency is in the process of validating predictive models that could warn of fire conditions months ahead.
Arif Satria
The research is already underway, and we are now validating the model to forecast fire conditions three and six months in advance.
President Subianto’s directive, delivered during a brief meeting at the presidential palace, was aimed at strengthening Indonesia’s medium‑ and long‑term fire management.
To deepen the studies, BRIN plans to work with universities that specialize in fire‑forecasting and fire‑spread patterns, Arif added.
Arif Satria
We plan to collaborate with universities on research into fire forecasting and fire‑spread patterns.
Every day, BRIN scans the country with satellite imagery to spot hotspots. The data is then forwarded to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and the Forestry Ministry for prevention and response efforts.
Arif Satria
We use the satellite imagery available at BRIN for various purposes, including detecting fire hotspots.
By predicting fire risks before they materialize, the initiative hopes to give authorities time to deploy resources, deploy firefighting equipment, and implement preventive measures in high‑risk areas.
