Police and Military Personnel Deploy Land and Air Support to Combat Forest Fires in Pangkalan Kerinci
Entering the seventh day, efforts to tackle forest and land fires (karhutla) in Terusan Village, Pangkalan Kerinci District, Pelalawan Regency, continue to be intensified. A joint team from the National Police (Polri), the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and the Fire Care Community (MPA) has been reinforced with water-bombing helicopters deployed to extinguish the flames.
This large-scale firefighting operation is being directly led by the Acting Head of Planning, Pelaleway Police, Commissioner Akhmad Z Rofiqi, accompanied by the Pangkalan Kerinci Police Chief, Commissioner Shilton, and the Head of the Pelalawan Regency Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Tengku Zulfan. Commissioner Akhmad Z Rofiqi emphasised that firefighting efforts are focused on cutting off fire paths to prevent further spread into residential areas and other plantations.
“Our firefighting efforts are focused on containment and cooling at the edges of the land. The synergy between the TNI, Polri, BPBD, companies, and the community must be maintained. Water sources are the primary obstacle, so water bombing assistance is urgently needed to accelerate the extinguishing process,” said Commissioner Rofiqi in a statement on Sunday (30/08/2026).
The fire occurred on land with thick peat. The area burned is estimated to reach 642.3 hectares. Joint personnel face several challenges, including a water crisis due to a prolonged dry season, difficult access, and strong winds that trigger the rapid spread of fire from north to south.
To prevent the fire from spreading, officers are carrying out containment efforts. A total of 287 joint personnel from the Police, TNI, Pelalawan BPBD, Firefighters, Company RPK, and the Fire Care Community (MPA) have been deployed for ground-based firefighting.
Extinguishing efforts are bolstered by the deployment of one water-bombing helicopter unit from the Riau Provincial BPBD and one surveillance drone unit to monitor hotspots from the air. Additionally, six units of heavy machinery from local companies have been mobilised for containment and the creation of canal barriers.
Firefighting equipment includes 18 mini striker units, one 25 HP main pump, two Maxtree engines, and two Sibahura engines, along with dozens of hose rolls.
In addition to spraying and cooling, field teams are focusing on creating canal barriers and emergency reservoirs to serve as natural boundaries and backup water storage. Simultaneously, the Regent of Pelalawan and the Pangkalan Kerinci Police Chief have been coordinating intensively with the Riau Provincial BPBD to request additional water-bombing helicopter units.
To determine the primary cause of the fire, police units have also begun collecting evidence and statements in the affected area for further investigation. As of the time of this report, firefighting operations are ongoing and remain under control.