Forest Fires Near Zamrud National Park Extinguished After Seven Days, Suppression Operation Ends
The operation to handle forest and land fires (karhutla) in the area near Zamrud National Park and Tasik Betung, within the Giam Siak Kecil Biosphere Reserve, officially ended today. Total suppression and cooling of approximately 30 hectares of land were successfully completed on the seventh day.
“After seven days of working in the field, Alhamdulillah, we have been able to complete the handling of the forest fires in the area around Zamrud National Park. Approximately 30 hectares of affected land have been managed through intensive suppression and cooling by all involved parties,” said Siak Police Chief AKBP Sepuh Ade Irsyam Siregar in a statement on Tuesday (1/9/2026).
The success of this fire management was due to the deployment of personnel and full equipment support to the location. Currently, the condition in both conservation areas is confirmed to be safe and under control, with no remaining embers.
With the conclusion of this operation, preventive measures and patrols around the Giam Siak Kecil Biosphere Reserve and Zamrud National Park will be increased to protect the ecosystem from the threat of follow-up fires. The end of the operation was marked by a Final Consolidation Assembly for Forest Fire Management held at the Beruk 03 and 08 area of PT Bumi Siak Pusako, Dayun, on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Police Chief, the success of the handling was the result of collaborative efforts by joint personnel and the support of equipment deployed during the operation. The joint team consisted of personnel from the Siak Police, Siak Sector Police, Satbrimob and Ditsamapta Riau Regional Police, TNI, BPBD, sub-district and village governments, Manggala Agni, BKSDA, as well as fire brigades from nearby companies.
“This is not the work of a single institution. Personnel in the field worked together, performing suppression and cooling to ensure there were no more embers with the potential to reignite,” he said.
In addition to the area around Zamrud National Park, the cooling process for the fires in the Tasik Betung area, located within the Giam Siak Kecil Biosphere Reserve, has also been completed.
Although the suppression operation has ended, Sepuh emphasised that surveillance will not cease. Monitoring patrols will continue for the next three days to anticipate the possibility of new hotspots appearing.
Preventive measures will also continue through patrols and appeals to the community to refrain from clearing land through burning.
“The suppression operation has indeed ended, but vigilance must not stop. After this, our focus shifts to monitoring, prevention to ensure fires do not recur, and the law enforcement process against those responsible for land burning,” Sepuh asserted.
Meanwhile, Riau Regional Police Head of Public Relations, Kombes Akmadi, stated that the end of the suppression operation in Dayun demonstrates that fire management was carried out until field conditions were truly under control.
According to Akmadi, Riau Regional Police Chief Irjen Herry Heryawan emphasised from the beginning that all ranks should not merely extinguish visible surface fires, but ensure that the cooling process is thorough, especially in areas with land characteristics that potentially harbour embers.
Akmadi explained that the consolidation assembly does not mean vigilance has ended; rather, it signifies that one stage of field handling has been completed.
“Moving forward, personnel will continue to monitor, and all ranks will continue to increase preventive measures in high-risk areas,” said Akmadi.