Forest Fire Operations in Bengkalis Show Positive Progress, 81 Hectares Affected

Firefighting operations for forest and land fires in Pematang Pudu Village, Mandau District, Bengkalis Regency, Riau, are beginning to show encouraging results. After a week of battling fires on peatland, the smoke conditions at the location have significantly decreased. The change was clearly visible from a comparison of field conditions between morning and evening on Tuesday (21/7). Efforts by four Manggala Agni teams from the Sumatra Forest Fire Control Centre, who continued cooling and mopping up, successfully suppressed smoke that had previously emerged from several points.

Head of the Sumatra Forest Fire Control Centre, Ferdian Krisnanto, stated that the developments in the field are a positive signal that the handling strategy is starting to yield results. “Significant progress has begun to be seen. When comparing the before and after conditions of the morning and evening operations, the difference in smoke conditions is very apparent,” said Ferdian on Tuesday (21/7) evening. He explained that the team would continue mopping up activities on Wednesday (22/7) with full strength of four teams to ensure no embers or smoke remain within the peat layers.

Previously, throughout Tuesday (21/7) morning, four Manggala Agni teams continued working amidst dry weather conditions without rain and limited water sources. Embers still stored beneath the peat surface meant the cooling process had to be carried out meticulously and repeatedly to prevent the fire from re-emerging. At several points, personnel even had to utilise small canals with water levels continuously shrinking due to the dry season. Mud at the bottom of the canals was also cleaned first so that water could be pumped to locations still retaining heat.

Based on aerial monitoring, the area affected by the fire in Pematang Pudu is estimated to have reached approximately 81 hectares. The current operational focus is no longer on extinguishing surface flames, but on eliminating hidden embers within the peat layers that could potentially create new hotspots. In addition to the positive developments in the field, it was confirmed that all personnel on duty are in good health and have prepared an operational strategy for the following day. He stressed that the Manggala Agni team will not rush to end the operation before the entire location is truly declared safe. With continuously improving progress, it is hoped that the mopping up operation continued on Wednesday (22/7) will be able to eliminate the remaining embers in the peat, making the Pematang Pudu area completely free from smoke and the risk of recurring fires.