Forest Fire Suspect Arrested in Inhil, Claims He Meant to Chase Away Bees

Police have secured a man suspected of burning 0.25 hectares of land and forest in Jalan Pinang Kuning, Pematang Reba Urban Village, West Rengat District, Indragiri Hilir (Inhil). The suspect, identified by the initials AK, admitted to burning oil palm fronds on the grounds that he intended to drive away bees.

The case came to light after the West Rengat Police received reports of a land fire on Sunday (13/9/2026). The information was followed up by West Rengat Police Chief AKP Sunaryo and district officials, who carried out fire extinguishing operations at the scene.

“Upon arrival at the location, officers found a man, AK alias Pasaribu, in the vicinity of the burnt land. The police chief then conducted a preliminary examination and asked the individual concerned about the origin of the fire,” said Inhil Police Chief AKBP Donny Eko Listianto on Tuesday (15/9/2026).

Based on the preliminary examination, AK admitted that he had earlier set fire to dry oil palm fronds on his own land. He had been clearing grass and small pieces of wood after a stacking process when he was troubled by small bees.

“He then took dry oil palm fronds and burned them with the aim of driving away the bees. The fronds were burned in a folded condition and measured about one metre,” he added.

As dusk approached, AK attempted to extinguish the fire by beating the burning fronds with a piece of wood. However, he did not thoroughly ensure that the embers had been completely extinguished before leaving the land.

“A fire initially considered small can spread quickly, especially in hot and dry weather conditions. Therefore, the public must be truly careful and must not burn land,” he added.

Following the handling of the scene, police secured several pieces of evidence, including five sugar palm seedlings, two charred pieces of wood, one oil palm frond and one matchbox.

AK is currently being held at the West Rengat Police Station for further questioning.