Pekanbaru BPBD Handles 49 Land and Forest Fire Cases in 2026, 29 Hectares of Land Destroyed by Fire

The Pekanbaru City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has noted a trend of increasing land and forest fire (Karhutla) cases since the beginning of 2026. Up to mid-March, 49 fire incidents have struck various points in the capital of Riau Province. Based on cumulative data over the past three months or so, the total area of land destroyed by fire has reached 29.9 hectares. Extreme hot weather sweeping Pekanbaru has been blamed as the main trigger for the heightened fire risk in peatland and scrub areas. Although fires have occurred since January, their intensity surged sharply in March. Of the total 49 incidents, the majority happened in this short period this month. “There were 31 land fire incidents this month alone,” stated the Head of BPBD Pekanbaru, Iwa Gemino, on Wednesday (18/3). This drastic increase has forced field teams to work overtime. In just the last two days, BPBD teams had to battle flames simultaneously at seven different locations to prevent the fire from spreading to residential areas or larger forest regions. Fortunately, the manual firefighting efforts by officers were aided by natural factors. Moderate rain that fell on Pekanbaru over the weekend provided relief for cooling the burnt land. Iwa Gemino assured that the on-site situation is now relatively under control. The rainfall effectively extinguished remaining flames and smouldering embers in several vulnerable spots. “For now, the conditions are monitored as conducive due to the rain, but we will continue to monitor,” he emphasised. Although the current situation is becoming conducive thanks to the rain, BPBD remains on standby with personnel to monitor high-risk points. Iwa also issued a stern warning to the public, given that hot weather could return. He urged residents to heighten environmental awareness and avoid reckless actions that could spark fires, especially in land management. The public is strictly prohibited from clearing land by burning, as the impacts can spread widely and be difficult to control in hot weather conditions.