Standing in the Smoke: Stories from the Front Line of Indonesia's Forest Fires

Standing in the Smoke: Stories from the Front Line of Indonesia's Forest Fires

When the haze rolls in, most of us close the windows. A few people walk toward it. Indonesia's forest firefighters work long hours in heat and smoke to protect the air that millions breathe, and the risks they take are real.

We rarely see them. What reaches us is usually a short update that the number of hotspots has fallen. Behind that update are boots soaked in peat mud, eyes stinging from smoke, and families waiting at home.

It Started with Listening

Langkah Berdampak, which translates as "Impactful Steps," began with a simple question: what do the people on the ground actually need? That is why Kahf's forest fire relief started with listening, alongside the Palangka Raya Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and the humanitarian organization Rumah Zakat.

"The firefighters are fighting to protect lives, and we want to play a part in protecting their fight," said Astri Wahyuni, Director of Corporate Affairs at ParagonCorp, Kahf's parent company. "From our discussions with BPBD and Rumah Zakat, we saw three connected needs: the safety of the firefighters, the right equipment to put out fires in peatland, and the future of the families of firefighters who lost their lives to the fires."

Safety, So They Can Come Home

Protective gear is worn almost every day, and it wears out. Sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) have now reached firefighters at the Palangka Raya BPBD: fire helmets, boots, gloves, safety goggles, respirator masks and fire suits, along with food packages, supplements and drinking water for the long days in the field.

Tools That Reach Fire Underground

In peatland, fire can hide underground and keep burning long after the surface looks extinguished. Hundreds of ground-penetrating nozzles were delivered through Rumah Zakat's disaster relief post and the Palangka Raya BPBD, so crews can put out fires deep below the surface.

Environmental advocate Nathanael Undas joined volunteers on the burning land. "Today I saw how determined our friends on the front line are to stop the forest and land fires from spreading," he said. "My deepest respect goes to everyone fighting this fire."

Read more: Kahf Delivers Health Aid to Residents of Kalimantan Amid the Haze

The Families Who Carry On

Not every firefighter makes it home. In Barito Kuala, South Kalimantan, a firefighter died in the line of duty, leaving behind his wife and three children who are still in school. The third step walks alongside the family, so that all three children can stay in school.

Read more: Those Left Behind Are Fighters Too: A Story from Barito Kuala

The Heaviest Load Is Still Theirs

These three steps are small compared with what firefighters and their families carry every day. But a fight this big was never meant to be fought alone. As long as the fires burn, BPBD, Rumah Zakat, volunteers and anyone who cares can walk beside them.

Thank you to every firefighter who chooses to stand in the smoke.

#LangkahBerdampak #JalanYangKuPilih

Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, and Barito Kuala, South Kalimantan, Indonesia | November 2026