Officials Continue Efforts to Extinguish Peatland Fires in Jambi
Jakarta — The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) stated that combined teams of firefighters continued efforts to extinguish a peatland mineral fire in Penerokan Village, Batanghari Regency, Jambi, on Friday.
Abdul Muhari, Head of the BNPB’s Centre for Disaster Data, Information and Communication, said in Jakarta on Friday that extinguishing efforts had been underway since the fire began on Thursday, 12 March.
“The affected area covers approximately 5 hectares. Teams on the ground have successfully extinguished around 3 hectares,” he stated.
The BNPB continues to monitor the progress of firefighting efforts alongside relevant authorities in the region. This reflects the commitment made by BNPB Chief Suharyanto during a forest and land fire (karhutla) preparedness drill involving at least 1,000 combined personnel in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Thursday, 5 March.
The drill, which showcased ground and air equipment, was led by the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Djamari Chaniago, and the Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni.
Jambi is one of six priority provinces for forest and land fire management efforts. Under Presidential Instruction Number 1/2020, the others are Riau, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.
Batanghari Regency covers approximately 580,483 hectares, with much of the area consisting of lowland plains and wetlands, meaning many regions have peatland characteristics.
Data from the Batanghari Regional Disaster Management Agency recorded peatland distributed across seven subdistricts: Muara Bulian, Pemayung, Muara Tembesi, Mersam, Maro Sebo Ulu, Maro Sebo Ilir, and Batin XXIV.
The peatland in this region is generally shallow, but remains a concern because it is prone to burning during the dry season.
According to records compiled by Antara News in 2023, approximately 111.14 hectares of land burned in Batanghari, the highest figure among other regencies in Jambi. Burned land area increased in 2024, with fires in Batanghari reaching approximately 253 hectares across dozens of hotspots in various subdistricts, including Bajubang.
The presence of plantation concessions and industrial timber plantations in the surrounding area has often been cited as a factor increasing fire vulnerability, particularly when peatland experiences drying as a result of drainage channels or land clearing.