Land Fire in South Aceh Expands to 25 Hectares

The Forest Fire Control Brigade for the Sumatra Region, under the Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Forestry, reported that a land fire in Seuneubok Pusaka, East Trumon District, South Aceh Regency, has expanded to 25 hectares.

Ferdian Krisnanto, Head of the Sumatra Region Forest Fire Control Brigade, stated that the fire initially covered 20 hectares. “The burned land has expanded. On the first day, it was around 20 hectares, then it grew to 23 hectares on the second day. Now, on the third day, the total area affected has reached 25 hectares,” he said from Banda Aceh on Wednesday.

He explained that the affected land is a peatland area with a cultivation rights title, bordering a conservation zone. The fire is burning both on the surface and underground. The vegetation in the area consists of saplings, shrubs, ferns, and oil palm plants.

A firefighting team from the Manggala Agni Sumatra I/Sibolangit operations unit has been dispatched to extinguish the blaze. Weather conditions during the second day of operations were clear from morning to afternoon, with wind speeds reaching nine kilometres per hour. Water sources are being drawn from canals within the area.

Access to the fire location takes approximately one hour and twenty minutes from the CRU Trumon office post. The team is scheduled to return to the site tomorrow to continue firefighting operations.