Joint Team Extinguishes Forest and Land Fires in Riau, Dozens of Hectares Burned
Joint Team Extinguishes Forest and Land Fires Across Dozens of Hectares in Riau
Manggala Agni personnel from the Forest Fire Control Center (Dalkarhut) Sumatra Regional Office, under the Ministry of Forestry, together with a joint team, have contained forest and land fires, or karhutla, in Riau, specifically in Bengkalis Regency and Pelalawan Regency.
Head of the Dalkarhut Sumatra Regional Office, Ferdian Krisnanto, said the team on the ground is still cooling down to ensure there are no embers left, particularly in peatland areas with potential to flare again.
“The team is still cooling down to prevent the fire from re-emerging. Given the smoke risk is still high, we are mopping up or completing the extinguishment of remaining flames,” Ferdian said on Thursday, 5 March.
In Bengkalis Regency, the fire occurred in Sukarjo Mesim Village, Rupat District, with an estimated burnt area of about 50 hectares in a Limited Production Forest (HPT) area. Firefighting efforts were carried out in an integrated manner by Manggala Agni Daops Sumatera V/Dumai along with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Police (Polri), BPBD, sub-district government, Satpol PP, village authorities, the firefighting unit of PT Sumatera Riang Lestari, and Masyarakat Peduli Api (MPA).
Ferdian emphasised that extinguishing peatland requires extra handling to ensure the fire does not re-emerge from beneath the surface of the ground.
“Because this is a peatland fire, we will complete it until there is no potential, however small, for it to spread or flare up again,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, in Pelalawan Regency a fire of around 68.3 hectares occurred in Gambut Mutiara Village, Teluk Meranti District, on an Other Land Use (APL) area. The Manggala Agni team together with MPA and PT TH Indo Plantation are continuing to ensure the firefighting process is truly completed.
In addition to firefighting, Manggala Agni has intensified prevention measures through patrols and early detection in high-risk karhutla areas. From January to early March 2026, patrols targeted 80 vulnerable villages in Sumatra regions including North Sumatra, Riau, Riau Islands, Jambi and South Sumatra.
“Patrols are not merely about territorial security, but also a means of social engagement so that communities understand the dangers of karhutla better. Community involvement is the key to prevention’s success,” Ferdian said.
To help accelerate firefighting, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) is also conducting Weather Modification Operations (OMC) targeting Pelalawan, Bengkalis, Siak, and Dumai. The operation was carried out at the request of the Riau Provincial Government and BMKG and the Ministry of Forestry’s recommendations to trigger rainfall to moisten peatlands.
Meanwhile, based on Fine Fuel Moisture Code (FFMC) data from BMKG, the dryness of surface fuel in the Riau region is expected to remain high in the coming days. This condition requires all parties to increase vigilance for the potential emergence of new hotspots triggering karhutla. (H-4)
The early 2026 period, which should have fallen within the rainy season, is instead marked by a surge in forest and land fires (karhutla), particularly in peat ecosystems.
In Kotawaringin Timur Regency, Central Kalimantan, a karhutla burned about 8 hectares on Jalan Sawit Raya in Mentawa Baru Ketapang Subdistrict, Sampit.
The Central Kalimantan Provincial BPBD recorded peatland fires at the location covering 0.48 hectares.
Peatland-fire-prone locations could have been identified earlier. However, regional funds can only be used after a disaster occurs, not for anticipation. That is the main problem.
Large-scale monoculture plantations within corporate concessions remain a major cause of forest and land fires this year.