Forestry Ministry Intensifies Firefighting Efforts for Forest and Land Fires in Several Riau Regions
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) is intensifying efforts to extinguish forest and land fires (karhutla) in Riau, with Manggala Agni having carried out 265 firefighting operations to date.
“The extent of karhutla in Riau from January to February 2026 has reached 4,440.21 hectares, and this figure continues to rise in line with vulnerable weather conditions. To date, joint teams have successfully conducted 265 ground extinguishing operations at various points,” stated the Director General of Law Enforcement (Gakkum) of the Ministry of Forestry, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, in a confirmed statement from Jakarta on Friday.
He explained that intensive operations are being carried out following the increase in the burned area and extreme dry weather conditions that have placed the entire Riau region in a ‘Very Prone’ status for karhutla.
The Ministry of Forestry is collaborating with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the National Police (Polri), the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Riau Provincial Government, communities, and private parties to continue efforts in controlling karhutla.
Ground and air operations are also being intensified to safeguard environmental quality and public health.
Based on observations from NASA’s Terra/Aqua satellites with high confidence levels for the period from 1 January to 26 March 2026, 625 hotspots were recorded across Indonesia, with 42.56 percent (266 points) located in Riau Province.
To address field challenges, the Ministry of Forestry has mobilised 387 joint personnel. To strengthen the front lines, the Ministry is also deploying Manggala Agni Operational Assistance Teams (BKO) from outside Riau, namely from the Bukit Tempurung Operations Unit in Jambi, the Kota Jambi Operations Unit, and the Labuhan Batu Operations Unit in North Sumatra.
Firefighting locations include, among others, Mundam Subdistrict in Dumai, SM Giam Siak Kecil, Merbau Village and Pulau Muda in Pelalawan, Talang Jerinjing Village in Indragiri Hulu, and the Rupat Island area in Bengkalis.
“The initial strategy at present is to contain the fire to prevent it from spreading, then to strike and extinguish the head of the fire, as well as to neutralise the main sources of potential smoke,” said Ferdi.
He mentioned that the current challenges in the field include limited water availability for firefighting, due to decreased rainfall leading to lowered groundwater levels, particularly in peat areas.
To overcome this issue, Manggala Agni, assisted by communities and local governments, is using heavy equipment to dig water reservoirs, clean canals, and widen barriers.