Forest Fires in Londerang Under Control, Joint Team Focuses on Cooling Land
The forest and land fires (karhutla) in the Londerang Peat Forest Protection (HLG) area, East Tanjung Jabung Regency, Jambi, are starting to be brought under control after a joint team has been conducting firefighting and cooling operations since 27 August 2026. Although surface fires have been successfully contained, smoke is still emerging from several points, prompting officers to continue cooling efforts to ensure that embers beneath the peat surface are completely extinguished.
Jambi Governor Al Haris stated that the nature of peatland makes the firefighting process require continuous handling, as fire can spread underground and resurface when the land dries out.
“In this Londerang peat forest area, smoke is still present, which makes it very possible that the fire is still active beneath the surface. Peatland cannot be extinguished with a single water spray; it continues to spread, and even when the smoke disappears, fire can reappear when it dries. That is the characteristic of peatland,” said Al Haris while inspecting the site alongside the Commander of the XX/Tuanku Imam Bonjol Military District, Major General TNI Arief Gajah Mada, in Jambi on Monday.
According to field officers, the fire-affected area is estimated to reach 86 hectares. Handling in the Londerang HLG area has been ongoing since the fire was first detected on 27 August 2026.
During the operation, the joint team has implemented firebreak creation, ground-based firefighting, and the strengthening of water supplies. One of the efforts undertaken includes building a water intake from the Batanghari River to support the firefighting process.
“Alhamdulillah, the cooling process has begun. The team has worked incredibly hard, from creating firebreaks to building the intake at the Batanghari River. I can see that the firefighting model used here is quite sophisticated, and I appreciate the work of everyone involved,” said Al Haris.
He noted that the wildfire response involves the TNI-Polri (Military and Police), BPBD (Regional Disaster Management Agency), Manggala Agni, as well as elements of the business community, including PT Wirakarya Sakti (WKS), a business unit of the APP Group.
“Our colleagues from the TNI-Polri, with the Regional Commander personally on the ground with us today, along with the District Military Commander, the Head of Operations of the Jambi Regional Police, BPBD, and Manggala Agni, as well as PT WKS, are all actively monitoring and guarding to ensure the fire does not spread,” he added.
The inspection was also attended by the Commander of the 042/Garuda Putih Regiment, the Head of Operations of the Jambi Regional Police, the Head of BPBD, the Regent and Deputy Regent of East Tanjung Jabung, the Chairman of the East Tanjung Jabung Regional House of Representatives, the Chief of the East Tanjung Jabung Police, the District Military Commander, the Public Prosecutor of East Tanjung Jabung, Manggala Agni, and representatives from the business sector.
Al Haris assessed that the handling of the wildfires in the Londerang HLG area demonstrates the importance of coordination between various parties to prevent widespread fire and to ensure the extinguishing process continues until all points potentially containing embers are addressed.
“This is an example of our collaboration in the field and an example of a sense of ownership. Our togetherness is evident, and alhamdulillah, this area is now being controlled by the team, leaving only the cooling process,” he said.
Although conditions are becoming more controlled, the joint team continues monitoring and cooling efforts to ensure all fire points and embers beneath the peat surface are completely extinguished.