Peatland Area in West Aceh Catches Fire, Suspected Arson for Land Clearing

A peatland area in West Aceh Regency, Aceh, has been engulfed by fire, with strong suspicions that the blaze was deliberately started to clear land. The fire occurred in Cot Seumeureng Village, Samatiga District, on Sunday (19/7/2026). Personnel from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of West Aceh were deployed to the scene to conduct firefighting and cooling operations. The incident adds to a series of forest and land fires in the region, often attributed to irresponsible parties using fire as a cheap method for land clearing.