No Retreat Until Extinguished: Police and Military Personnel Stay Overnight to Combat Forest Fires in Inhil
The arduous struggle of joint personnel to extinguish forest and land fires (karhutla) in Indragiri Hilir Regency, Riau, has not broken their resolve. Personnel are even staying overnight at the fire sites, refusing to return home until the flames are completely out.
The fire in Sungai Rukam Village, Enok District, Indragiri Hilir, has been burning since 27 August 2026. To date, joint personnel from the Inhil Police, TNI, BPBD, Fire Department, Manggala Agni, and the Fire Care Community (MPA) remain on-site to carry out firefighting efforts.
Inhil Police Chief AKBP Donny Eko Listi Namespace chose to stay overnight at the location alongside the joint personnel. The objective is to ensure that no embers remain hidden within the peatland fire site.
The presence of the Police Chief at the forefront serves as an inspiration for hundreds of personnel struggling to defeat the blaze. The thick peat terrain requires extra precision during the extinguishing process, as fire can reignite at any time.
“We are staying overnight at the location to ensure that extinguishing and cooling efforts are maximised. In peatlands, surface fires may appear extinguished, but embers underground can still be burning. Our principle is clear: no retreat until the fire is truly out,” stated AKBP Donny Eko Listianto on Sunday (30/8/2026).
Joint personnel battle the flames day and night. When night falls, personnel take turns resting to maintain stamina amidst the thick smoke from the forest fires.
Resting briefly under the open sky and on the ground is not an issue for the officers. The priority for the personnel is to ensure the fire is completely extinguished.
These day and night firefighting efforts are not without obstacles. Personnel also face difficulties with hard-to-reach access and a limited water supply amidst the prolonged dry season.
Officers are utilising water for firefighting from emergency reservoirs and canal ditches located at the site. Slowly but surely, the fire, which has burnt 10 hectares of land, is beginning to be brought under control.
Support from land fleets and portable pump machines continues to be optimised. Officers are patrolling the border areas to create firebreaks to prevent the fire from spreading further into residents’ plantations or surrounding forest areas.
As of this report, the joint team is still conducting cooling operations at the site. Synergy between agencies and the concern of the local community are the primary keys to ensuring the situation in Sungai Rukam Village becomes stable and free from the threat of smoke.
“Alhamdulillah, we have been able to control and extinguish the fire. This is not the success of a single party, but the result of the hard work and togetherness of the entire team involved,” concluded Donny.