JAKARTA — Indonesian authorities are investigating four companies in West Kalimantan over alleged violations linked to forest and land fires, with the government warning that their operating licences could be permanently revoked if wrongdoing is proven.

State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said Saturday that authorities would wait for the investigation results before deciding on legal action.

The four companies have not been publicly identified.

“If violations are discovered, we will not hesitate to take decisive action, which could go as far as revoking their licences,” Prasetyo said after a coordination meeting on the fires in Central Kalimantan.

President Prabowo Subianto has ordered strict enforcement against anyone found to have deliberately started fires, including both individuals and corporations.

Prabowo travelled to Kalimantan on Saturday to oversee the government’s response, visiting fire-affected areas in Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan, before attending a coordination meeting in Central Kalimantan.

The government has deployed additional personnel and firefighting aircraft, including helicopters, as authorities work to contain fires across the region.

The fires come during Indonesia’s dry season, with authorities warning that strong El Niño conditions are contributing to hotter and drier weather and increasing the risk of forest and land fires.

The situation is also being watched beyond Indonesia. Smoke from large fires in Kalimantan can cross national borders and contribute to haze in neighbouring Malaysia, making Indonesia’s response a wider Southeast Asian concern.

Government figures cited by the Forestry Ministry show that more than 200,000 hectares of land across Indonesia had been affected by forest and land fires between January and July this year.

For the four companies under investigation, however, authorities have yet to establish whether any violations were committed or whether the companies were responsible for the fires.

Prasetyo said no information about companies being investigated in Central Kalimantan had been presented during Saturday’s meeting. Further inquiries will be conducted by the provincial police.

The government said it would take firm action against any party found responsible once the investigations are completed.