President Prabowo Reviews Riau Forest Fires, Stresses Permanent Prevention
President Prabowo Subianto chaired an evaluation meeting on the handling of forest and land fires (karhutla) at the Riau Forward Post in Pekanbaru on Monday (24/8). The visit aimed to ensure that firefighting efforts are completed while strengthening a permanent prevention system so that similar disasters do not recur every dry season.
Based on data from the Riau Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBDPK), from January to August 2026, the total area of burned land reached 16,277.50 hectares with 10,514 hotspots detected. Of that number, 521 points were confirmed as fire spots. As of 23 August, there were still 306 hotspots with 7 active fire spots spread across Pelalawan, Indragiri Hilir, Indragiri Hulu, and Kampar Regencies.
Nevertheless, the hard work of the joint team succeeded in reducing the area of land still burning to around 900 hectares. President Prabowo expressed high appreciation to the TNI, Polri, BPBD, and all related parties for successfully extinguishing more than 15,000 hectares of land.
“I think this is quite something to be proud of. For the remaining 900 hectares, immediately deploy forces and remain vigilant going forward,” said President Prabowo in a press release received on Wednesday (26/8).
In his directives, the President emphasised that karhutla handling must shift from merely extinguishing fires towards a permanent prevention system. The solution-oriented measures instructed include the construction of boreholes and retention basins as water reserves, continuous monitoring of vulnerable villages, and the use of BMKG technology for early detection.
Beyond technical aspects, President Prabowo also ordered a thorough evaluation of the causes of the fires. He stressed that he would not hesitate to take firm legal action if violations are found in the forest fire incidents.
The visit to Riau is part of a series of national reviews after the President previously visited Kalimantan. This strategy demonstrates the central government’s commitment to building cross-sector synergy to break the annual cycle of forest and land fires in Indonesia.
The coordination meeting was also attended by ministers and heads of institutions, including the TNI Commander, the National Police Chief, the Head of BIN, as well as regional officials such as the Acting Governor of Riau, the Regional Military Commander, and the Regional Police Chief.