Prabowo sends trail bikes to support Jambi forest fire officers

President Prabowo Subianto has confirmed that the government will immediately send trail motorbikes to Jambi to support the mobility of officers handling forest and land fires (karhutla).

“You have 81 posts, we will immediately send motorbikes to Jambi,” the President said while monitoring forest fire handling via video conference from the Main Command Post of the South Sumatra Forest Fire Task Force in Palembang on Monday.

Prabowo said operational support is needed to assist officers in the field and at frontline posts in handling forest fires.

The President also asked the Jambi Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) to maintain the increasingly controlled forest fire situation by continuing to conduct outreach and education to the public.

In addition, the President instructed that prevention efforts and monitoring of forest fire developments be carried out continuously to anticipate the re-emergence of hotspots.

“Convey my gratitude to all officers in the field, everyone at the command posts, at the frontline posts. We will strive to provide support for everyone on the front line,” the President said.

In handling forest fires in South Sumatra, the President also provided support of 100 trail motorbikes to assist firefighting efforts. The motorbikes have been modified so they can carry water tanks to extinguish fires at forest fire locations.

Previously, Jambi Governor Al Haris reported to the President that fires in his region had not occurred for several days, although officers were still carrying out cooling operations.

“In Jambi, thank God there have been no fires for several days, Sir. What remains is perhaps cooling operations in the field,” Al Haris said.

The President then asked regional officials to continue protecting their respective areas from the threat of forest fires amid unfavourable weather conditions.

“Protect your region, protect your homeland. We will overcome this. Indeed, the weather is temporarily unfriendly, but we can overcome it,” the President said.