Traditional Fire Knowledge for Peatland Management in Indonesia: Practices by Communities Near Padang Sugihan Wildlife Sanctuary

We studied traditional knowledge and practices related to fire use in three villages near the Padang Sugihan Wildlife Sanctuary (PSWS): Sebokor, Tanah Lembak, and Suka Pindah. Using a mixed-methods approach, we collected both numerical and descriptive data through semi-structured interviews with 447 respondents. The results show that fire remains an important tool in land management, used both individually and collectively. Factors such as age, gender, and land ownership influence how fire is utilized. Notably, men and older people are more actively involved in land-burning activities. Among the villages, Suka Pindah shows the highest frequency of fire use, especially in sonor, a traditional practice of burning peatland before farming. The study also highlights the ongoing use of traditional fire control methods, such as Rompokan, Api Jalan, Lawang Api, and Galuh Api, which remain prevalent in these communities. Our research highlights the potential to incorporate traditional fire knowledge (TFK) into sustainable fire management and conservation efforts in fire-prone areas, such as PSWS. Incorporating TFK can improve fire management, support biodiversity, promote sustainable land use, and help preserve traditional ecological knowledge for future generations. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.