Forest and Land Fire in Rimbo Panjang, Riau, Extinguished Before Spreading

A forest and land fire (karhutla) affecting the Rimbo Panjang area of Kampar Regency, which borders Pekanbaru City in Riau, was successfully extinguished quickly before it could spread to a larger area. Head of the Sumatra Forest and Land Fire Control Centre (Dalkarhut), Ferdian Krisnanto, stated that the fire spot was discovered based on aerial patrol monitoring. Once the location was identified, the Manggala Agni Daops Pekanbaru team was immediately deployed to carry out suppression. “We obtained one crime scene in Rimbo Panjang, Kampar, and suppression was immediately carried out by Daops Pekanbaru. It was completely extinguished with an area of approximately 0.25 hectares,” said Ferdian on Tuesday (9/6). Ferdian explained that the success in extinguishing the fire in a short time demonstrates the importance of an early detection system in efforts to control forest and land fires. With rapid information, field teams can move immediately so that fires do not develop and become more extensive. He revealed that in addition to handling detected hotspots, prevention efforts are also being intensified in various fire-prone areas in Sumatra, particularly Riau. “Manggala Agni continues to carry out preventive patrols in fire-prone villages as a mitigation effort,” he said. Preventive patrols are conducted routinely to monitor field conditions while providing education to the community about the dangers of forest and land fires and the importance of protecting the environment during the dry season. Additionally, the Sumatra Dalkarhut Centre has also begun conducting comprehensive health checks for personnel serving in the field. The examinations are carried out in rotation to ensure all members are in prime condition to face the potential increase in forest and land fire incidents. “We also inform you that complete medical check-ups are being carried out in rotation as an effort to monitor members’ health and ensure personnel readiness,” he said. According to him, personnel health is an important factor in the success of forest and land fire control operations, considering that the tasks performed require prime physical condition, especially when facing difficult terrain and prolonged smoke exposure. With a combination of early detection, preventive patrols, and continuously maintained personnel readiness, his party hopes that the potential for forest and land fires can be suppressed as early as possible. “So that it does not develop into a large fire that has a broad impact on the community and the environment,” he concluded.