Riau Forest Fires Decline, Aerial Firefighting Reinforced in Kerumutan

Riau Police Chief Inspector General Herry Heryawan stated that forest and land fire conditions in Riau Province have generally declined. Current handling is focused on Kerumutan Village, Pelalawan Regency, with reinforced aerial operations.

“Overall, Riau Province has experienced a decline. Currently, the area still of concern is Pelalawan Regency, particularly Kerumutan Village. Around 280 hectares of land have burned there and handling has been ongoing for about 26 days,” said Inspector General Herry Heryawan on Sunday (23/8/2026).

The peatland characteristics in Kerumutan make extinguishing efforts difficult. Fire can persist beneath the surface, so ground handling must be reinforced with aerial operations. Riau Police together with Kodam XIX/Tuanku Tambusai, BNPB, BPBD, Manggala Agni, the Fire Care Community and related elements continue to deploy resources to accelerate extinguishing.

“Because Kerumutan is peatland, aerial strength must continue to be used. BNPB and BPBD support is also quite massive. This is a joint effort because forest and land fires are a problem for all of us,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Police Chief also asked local governments to ensure the readiness of heavy equipment to create firebreaks around the fire locations. This step is needed to prevent the fire from spreading and approaching residential areas.

“Heavy equipment must be prepared so we can create firebreaks so that the fire does not impact residents’ housing. Public safety is the priority,” he said.

Inspector General Herry Heryawan emphasised the importance of collaboration in handling forest and land fires, not only when fires occur. Mitigation efforts have been carried out since the pre-disaster phase, including through the construction of retention basins, canal blocks and various other prevention measures in vulnerable areas.

Not only focusing on extinguishing fires, Riau Police and local governments are also carrying out mitigation for residents affected by forest and land fires by preparing posts and health teams. Special attention is given to children and vulnerable groups to identify the impact of smoke exposure, including the possibility of acute respiratory infections.

“It is not enough to just extinguish the fire. We must also ensure that affected communities receive treatment. We conduct health checks, check children affected by acute respiratory infections, distribute masks and provide trauma healing,” said Herry.