Riau Police Chief Conducts Aerial Patrol to Ensure Pelalawan Forest Fires Fully Handled
Riau Police Chief Inspector General Herry Heryawan has again conducted an aerial patrol to directly monitor the progress of forest and land fire (Karhutla) handling in Riau Province. The patrol was carried out to ensure the fires are dealt with thoroughly.
This patrol focused on Pangkalan Kerinci District, Pelalawan Regency, one of the areas that has been a priority for the joint task force in recent days. The patrol was also conducted to ensure that on-the-ground handling continues even as rain begins to fall in several parts of Riau.
“Today I returned to see firsthand from the air the progress of Karhutla handling, particularly in the Pelalawan area. We want to ensure all efforts on the ground continue to run optimally and that there is no negligence, especially in locations that are still emitting smoke or have the potential for embers,” said Inspector General Herry on Monday (31/8/2026).
Based on the latest report from the Pelalawan Police Karhutla Handling Command Post as of 10.30 WIB, firefighting efforts in Rantau Baru Village, Pangkalan Kerinci District, have entered their ninth day.
Of the total affected area of 967.69 hectares, the joint task force has successfully extinguished approximately 957.54 hectares. Meanwhile, around 10.15 hectares are still emitting smoke and are currently the focus of cooling operations.
During Monday morning’s monitoring (31/8), one medium-category hotspot was also detected in the area. This condition is a concern for the team even though the majority of the affected area has generally been successfully handled.
Herry stressed that the emergence of one hotspot serves as a reminder that all elements on the ground must not relax their vigilance. Moreover, the characteristics of the land in several parts of Pelalawan allow embers to persist and re-emit smoke if cooling is not carried out thoroughly.
“Even if the surface fire is no longer visible, the work is not finished. What we must ensure is that the embers are truly extinguished. Therefore, cooling must be carried out thoroughly and points that are still emitting smoke must continue to be monitored,” he said.
A total of 289 joint personnel are still deployed in the Karhutla handling in Rantau Baru Village. This force consists of 55 police personnel, 46 military personnel, as well as personnel from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Pelalawan Regency Fire Department, company firefighting teams, Fire Care Communities (MPA) and local residents.
Operations on the ground are also reinforced by one water bombing helicopter, six units of heavy equipment, dozens of fire pump engines and mini strikers, fire hose networks, and surveillance drones to assist in monitoring the affected area. According to the Police Chief, the large force still maintained on the ground is part of a strategy to ensure handling does not stop merely after the fire has been brought under control.
“We maintain our strength on the ground because the target is not simply to extinguish the fire. We must ensure there is no recurrence of fire,” he continued.
“Ground teams are working on extinguishing and cooling, while from the air we conduct monitoring and provide water bombing support to locations that require it,” he added.
The Police Chief also expressed appreciation to all personnel and joint elements still working on the ground. According to him, Karhutla handling in Riau is a collective effort that requires consistency and collaboration from all parties.
According to him, in Karhutla handling, the police do not work alone. There are the military, local government, BPBD, fire department, businesses, Fire Care Communities and the public who are involved and working hard together.
Inspector General Herry Heryawan stressed that he and Commander of Military Region XIX/Tuanku Tambusai Major General Agus Hadi Waluyo are committed to continuing to oversee Karhutla handling in Riau until all points are truly resolved.
“From the beginning, the Commander and I have been committed to working on this Karhutla handling together until it is complete. The military and police will continue to be on the ground together with all stakeholders, strengthening each other and ensuring that every point still requiring handling is not neglected,” Herry asserted.
He said this commitment is also part of efforts to maintain the morale of all personnel who are still working hard on extinguishing and cooling operations on the ground.
“I would like to thank all personnel who are still on the ground to this day. Stay safe, stay healthy, and complete this work together,” he concluded.