Police and Military Struggle to Extinguish Forest Fires in Inhil: Crossing Rivers and Walking 2km
The struggle to navigate difficult terrain has not deterred the joint team from the Riau Regional Police, TNI, and local communities in extinguishing forest and land fires (Karhutla) in Indragiri Hilir Regency (Inhil). After five days of battling the flames, a fire covering 10 hectares in Sungai Rukam Village, Enok District, has now been successfully extinguished.
Entering the fifth day on Saturday (29/08/202ical), the joint team is still conducting cooling operations. This effort is being carried out to ensure that no embers remain within the peatland.
“We are in Sungai Rukam Village, Enok District. Extinguishing efforts have been underway for five days, and today we can see that the fire has been successfully put out across approximately 10 hectares of land,” said Inhil Police Chief AKBP Donny Eka Listianto in a statement on Sunday (30/08/2026).
To reach the fire location in Sungai Rukam Village, the joint team had to endure a heavy 3.5-hour journey from Tembilahan City. Isolated access required personnel to switch between various modes of transport, ranging from four-wheel drive vehicles to motorcycles.
Furthermore, the joint personnel also had to cross a river using a ferry boat. Following this, the final stretch to the location was completed on foot for 2 kilometres while carrying firefighting equipment.
“The terrain we traversed was indeed quite difficult, requiring multiple changes in transport and a 2km walk, but the safety of the community’s environment is our top priority,” he added.
The firefighting and cooling operation was led directly by the Director of Pamobvit of the Riau Regional Police alongside the Inhil Police Chief, deploying a total of 162 joint personnel. This included 60 personnel from the Inhil Police, 40 personnel from the Ditpamobvit and Kompi C Brimob Riau Regional Police, 12 personnel from the Inhil Kodim, and 50 members of the Fire Care Community (MPA).
Construction of Boreholes
Although the main fire has been extinguished, extra cooling efforts continue to ensure no embers remain beneath the peat soil layers. As a long-term anticipatory measure, the Inhil Kodim, together with Yon TP, plans to construct boreholes around the location to secure a water supply.
Once the situation in Enok District became stable, 50 joint personnel from the Riau Regional Police and Inhil Police immediately redirected their forces to a new location in Lahang Baru Village, Gaung District, Inhil Regency on Sunday (29/08/2026) to continue the mission of extinguishing forest fires.