49 Hot Spots Detected in Riau as Forestry Ministry Deploys Fire-Fighting Teams to Secure Sumatran Transit Routes
Jakarta — The Ministry of Forestry is strengthening forest and land fire control efforts in Riau Province ahead of the Idul Fitri 1447 H exodus, taking action to ensure trans-Sumatran transit routes remain safe from smoke-related disruptions.
Thomas Nifinluri, Director of Forest Fire Control at the Ministry of Forestry, stated that the ministry has deployed three Manggala Agni teams to handle forest and land fires in Rantau Bais, Rokan Hilir Regency, Riau. The three teams are drawn from support units of the Manggala Agni Regional Operations Centre Sumatera VI/Siak, the Manggala Agni Regional Operations Centre Sumatera II/Labuhanbatu Selatan, and one team from the Regional Operations Centre Manggala Agni Sumatera V/Dumai.
According to Thomas, conditions at the site are improving, allowing the Riau–North Sumatera transit route to remain passable without smoke disruption. Beyond Rokan Hilir, Manggala Agni teams have also been deployed to handle forest and land fires in other areas of Riau, including Kampar, Bengkalis, Dumai, and Pelalawan.
The Ministry of Forestry has also increased personnel support from the Manggala Agni Regional Operations Centre Sumatera XI/Bukit Tempurung, Jambi, to strengthen the Regional Operations Centre Manggala Agni Sumatera VII/Rengat.
According to monitoring via the SiPongi satellite system utilising NASA Terra/Aqua data up to 15 March 2026, 49 hot spots were recorded in Riau Province. These hot spots are distributed across Pelalawan Regency (42 points), Indragiri Hilir (two points), Dumai (four points), and Kampar (one point).
“In line with monitoring of hot spots in various locations, Manggala Agni and other relevant agencies in the regions are reporting fire-fighting efforts. From 1–15 March 2026, 48 fire-fighting operations were conducted, successfully managing 78.2 hectares across Dumai, Bengkalis, Pelalawan, Rokan Hilir, Indragiri Hilir, and Kampar regencies and municipalities,” Thomas said on Monday, 16 March 2026.
In addition to ground suppression operations, the Ministry of Forestry is strengthening monitoring through aerial patrols to improve early detection and accelerate field response.
“The deployment of a Bell helicopter for aerial patrols is currently approaching Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force Base in Pekanbaru to support aerial patrol activities for monitoring high-risk forest and land fire areas in Riau Province,” Thomas said.
The aerial patrols are planned to run until the end of April, with approximately 65 hours of total flight time. The Air Operations Task Force will be stationed at Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force Base in Pekanbaru as the coordination centre for monitoring high-risk forest and land fire areas in Riau.
“We express our gratitude to the Commander of Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force Base and his staff for their support and excellent cooperation in supporting fire prevention and control preparedness through aerial patrols,” Thomas said.
According to Thomas, the aerial patrol team comprises elements from the Ministry of Forestry, the Regional Disaster Management Agency, the Regional Environmental and Forestry Office, the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency, the Indonesian Air Force, and the Riau Provincial Government, who will conduct scheduled patrols to strengthen monitoring of high-risk fire areas.