68-Year-Old Man Burns 1.5 Hectares of Land in Riau to Chase Away Mosquitoes

A 68-year-old man in Indragiri Hulu, Riau, has been taken into police custody after a fire he started to chase away mosquitoes razed 1.5 hectares of oil palm land. The incident occurred on Saturday, 8 August 2026, at around 2 p.m. local time in Lirik District, when the suspect, identified by the initials JS, ignited a small fire that quickly spiralled out of control. Police from the Lirik Sector responded to reports of a land fire and arrived to find JS alongside residents attempting to extinguish the flames. Officers subsequently secured the scene and coordinated with the local disaster management agency and firefighting teams to prevent the blaze from spreading further. JS was detained for questioning, and investigators seized a bottle of diesel fuel, burnt oil palm trunks, and charred wood as evidence. The police chief stated that JS faces charges under the Environmental Protection and Management Law and the Plantation Law, and stressed that the force will not tolerate any activity that leads to forest and land fires, whether intentional or due to negligence. He urged the public to refrain from using fire for any purpose, warning that even a small flame can rapidly escalate in Riau’s fire-prone landscape.