Riau BBKSDA on alert for forest fires in Sumatran tiger habitat

The Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) is on alert for forest and land fires (karhutla) in the Kerumutan Wildlife Reserve (SM Kerumutan) in Pelalawan Regency, one of the key population areas for the Sumatran tiger.

Head of BBKSDA Riau Supartono said in Pekanbaru on Wednesday that initial estimates put the area of burnt peatland at around five hectares.

The exact figure for the total extent of damage is still being verified by officers deployed to the scene.

“The burnt area in SM Kerumutan is estimated at five hectares, all peatland,” he said.

He explained that an aerial task force team had managed to halt the spread of the fire through water bombing late last week.

Ground suppression efforts, he said, are facing difficult and challenging terrain.

Ground teams have had to struggle through dense peat forest vegetation and cover an extreme distance of around 32 kilometres from the outer boundary of the reserve to reach the fire hotspots.

To optimise the response, the firefighting strategy now combines aerial monitoring and ground operations.

Air teams continue to map hotspots, while ground personnel are working to open access routes so that direct suppression at the fire sites can be carried out.

He said the situation is increasingly precarious because similar fires have also been detected outside the SM Kerumutan boundary, around 12 kilometres from the reserve’s perimeter.

Intensive monitoring is being stepped up to ensure the safety of the Sumatran tiger and the entire wildlife ecosystem within the reserve.

To date, no animals have been found to be direct casualties of the flames.

Nevertheless, the emergence of hotspots inside the protected area remains the most critical priority for handling.