Joint team works to extinguish peatland fires in South Aceh

Sweeping is carried out by traversing areas that are still emitting smoke. Each location found is then soaked and cooled to prevent new fires from emerging.

Banda Aceh (ANTARA) - A joint team resumed efforts on Monday (31/8) to tackle forest and land fires (karhutla) in the peatland area of Gampong Drien, Bakongan District, South Aceh Regency.

Around 50 personnel, comprising the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the South Aceh Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Bakongan and Kota Bahagia sub-district governments, Gunung Leuser National Park (TNGL) personnel, and local residents, were involved in continuing the sweep to locate sources of smoke while ensuring that embers beneath the surface do not reignite the fires.

“The sweep is carried out by traversing areas that are still emitting smoke. Each location found is then soaked and cooled to prevent new fires from emerging,” said Field Coordinator Danramil 09/Trumon Tengah, Infantry Captain Faisal Kurniawan, in a statement received in Banda Aceh on Monday.

He said the team is currently focusing on smoke points that are still emerging and have the potential to reignite embers.

According to him, the cooling process is an important step because visible smoke does not necessarily indicate that the fire is on the surface. Embers can persist within the layers of the land, so inspections are carried out thoroughly.

He added that personnel safety is also a concern during the operation, with every movement adjusted to the terrain conditions and the situation on site.

Cross-sector collaboration is a key strength in controlling the forest and land fires in Gampong Drien, given that the terrain conditions and limited water supply make the on-the-ground process time-consuming and require vigilance.

The joint team will continue to monitor the area and take action if smoke or embers that could potentially cause fires are still found.

Officers also urged the public to help protect the environment and avoid activities that could trigger fires. Unsupervised land burning or discarding objects that still contain embers, including cigarette butts, can become triggers for fires that are difficult to control.