Accelerating Forest Fire Management: South Sumatra Regional Police Utilise Drones and X-Fire
The Indonesian National Police (Polri) are optimising technology-based approaches to handle forest and land fires (karhutla) in Muara Baru Village, Pemulutan District, Ogan Ilir Regency. This includes the deployment of firefighting drones and a specialised liquid known as X-Fire to reach fire hotspots that are difficult for officers to access via land routes.
The operation was directly inspected by the Head of the Procurement Bureau of the National Police Logistics Staff, Brigadier General Pol. Hery Santoso, at the fire site near the entrance to the Pemulutan Toll Road on Friday (25/9). The inspection was conducted to ensure the readiness of firefighting infrastructure, including soil conditions, site access, water availability, and personnel preparedness.
In this operation, drone spraying has become a primary method for reaching fire points inaccessible by land. Two large drones belonging to the National Police Logistics Staff were operated by Slog Polri operators, flying for approximately 30 minutes to spray X-Fire liquid over the burning areas.
Following the afternoon inspection, the delegation returned to the site around 19:00 WIB to monitor the firefighting process throughout the night. The response was carried out through an integrated approach, combining drone usage with manual methods by personnel from Satbrimob, Ditsamapta, and the Ogan Ilir Police.
The inspection and firefighting efforts involved various high-ranking officials from the South Sumatra Regional Police, the Ogan Ilir Police, the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces), BPBD (Regional Disaster Management Agency), and Manggala Agni.
Chief of Operations of the South Sumatra Regional Police, Kombes Pol. Muhammad Anis Prasetio Santoso, stated that the use of drones and X-Fire liquid assists officers in reaching fire points where land access is limited. “The use of drones equipped with special X-Fire liquid is very helpful in reaching fire points far from land access. This technology accelerates the extinguishing process while simultaneously increasing the safety of personnel in the field,” he said in a written statement on Sunday (27/9/2026).
Meanwhile, the Chief of Ogan Ilir Police, AKBP Rizka Aprianti, expressed appreciation for the support of equipment and personnel in handling the fires in her jurisdiction. “We are greatly assisted by the presence of drones and X-Fire. The support of personnel and equipment from the South Sumatra Regional Police and the National Police Headquarters accelerates the handling of fire points in Pemulutan, particularly in areas adjacent to the Pemulutan Toll access,” she said.
The Head of Public Relations for the South Sumatra Regional Police, Kombes Pol. Nandang Mu’min Wijaya, added that the utilisation of technology is part of the effort to strengthen forest fire management and protect the public. “We are fully committed to supporting the use of modern technology such as drones and X-Fire to accelerate firefighting and protect the community from the impacts of haze,” said Kombes Pol. Nandang.
The handling of the forest and land fires in the Pemulutan area, Ogan Ilir Regency, proceeded safely and in a controlled manner. The National Police, alongside the South Sumatra Regional Police and relevant agencies, continue to optimise equipment, personnel, and methods to accelerate extinguishing efforts and prevent the spread of fires.