Manggala Agni Successfully Contain Forest and Land Fires in Two Regencies in Riau
Riau — Manggala Agni, Balai Pengendalian Kebakaran Hutan (Dalkarhut) Wilayah Sumatera Kementerian Kehutanan (Kemenhut) and other relevant parties have succeeded in containing kebakaran hutan dan lahan (karhutla) in Bengkalis Regency and Pelalawan Regency, Riau.
At present, the team is still carrying out cooling-down processes to ensure no hotspots remain and to prevent the fire from flaring up again. The hotspot potential remains high, so mopping up (eliminating residual flames and cooling) is still being carried out, said Ferdian Krisnanto, head of the Sumatra Region Dalkarhut in a statement confirmed from Jakarta on Thursday.
He explained that in Bengkalis Regency, the karhutla occurred in Sukarjo Mesim Village, Rupat District, with suppression efforts coordinated by Manggala Agni Daops Sumatera V/Dumai, the Indonesian Army (TNI), the Indonesian Police (POLRI), BPBD, Rupat District Government, Rupat Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP), Sukarjo Mesim Village Government, the Regu Pemadam Kebakaran PT Sumatera Riang Lestari, and the Community Fire Watch (MPA).
The total burnt area in that region is estimated at about 50 hectares, located in an area designated as a Limited Production Forest (Hutan Produksi Terbatas - HPT).
‘We will resolve this until there is no potential for spread or ignition, because the fire is peatland,’ Ferdian clarified.
He explained that Manggala Agni together with MPA and PT TH Indo Plantation ensure the firefighting is truly completed.
‘Manggala Agni, together with the parties, continues to work to extinguish fires at the two locations. On the other hand, we continue to move to prevent using early detection for a faster response and to carry out preventive patrols with a territorial security approach, monitoring real-time field conditions and a social approach to the community,’ Ferdian said.
He explained that from January to early March 2026, the Manggala Agni Balai Dalkarhut Sumatra Region has conducted preventive patrols of karhutla in 80 villages across North Sumatra, Riau, Riau Islands, Jambi, and South Sumatra.