Riau Police Chief: Dumai Forest and Land Fires Under Control, Collaboration is Key

Riau Police Chief Irjen Herry Heryawan personally inspected the forest and land fire (karhutla) location in Dumai Timur Subdistrict, Dumai City. His presence at the site aimed to ensure that the handling of the fires was carried out maximally on the ground.

During the visit, the Police Chief was accompanied by Founder of Tumbuh Institute Rocky Gerung, as well as representatives from local government, TNI-Polri, and volunteers who have been involved in the firefighting efforts. The Police Chief stressed that his presence at the location was part of efforts to ensure that the handling was carried out in a real and coordinated manner.

“Today I am present directly at the location in Dumai Timur Subdistrict. I am accompanied by Mr Rocky from Tumbuh Institute who has been with us for the past few days, from Rupat, Pelalawan, to today in Dumai,” said Irjen Herry Heryawan on Friday (27/3/2026).

The Police Chief’s presence at the location was to directly assess the real conditions on the ground. In fact, the Police Chief along with Rocky Gerung went down to the fire points and joined the extinguishing process with the joint team.

According to him, the main key in handling karhutla is continuous collaborative work, as well as the ability to respond quickly to every obstacle on the ground.

“We cannot work partially. Everyone must work together. Any obstacles on the ground must be immediately bridged, whether from the equipment side, water bombing support, or other steps such as weather modification that we have already communicated,” he asserted.

He also warned that the challenges ahead are still quite heavy, especially entering the peak dry season period in mid-year.

“Facing a longer situation ahead, especially June to August, this collaborative work must continue to be maintained. This is not the work of one party, this is joint work,” he added.

With strengthened collaboration and rapid responses on the ground, it is hoped that the fires can be controlled and not develop into a wider haze disaster in Riau Province.

Hotspots Reduced

Based on the latest data, in the Dumai area there are still 11 hotspots from the previous 14 hotspots, with details of 2 points in Dumai Timur and 9 points in Medang Kampai, with medium category status. Meanwhile, the total area of land affected by the fire reaches around 87.25 hectares.

Nevertheless, conditions on the ground show a trend that is starting to be under control. The number of fire points, which previously reached dozens, is now beginning to decrease significantly. Irjen Herry emphasised that the achievement of reducing fire points is inseparable from the cross-sector collaborative work that continues to be maintained on the ground.

“In Dumai Timur, there is a fairly significant decrease. From previously dozens of fire points, alhamdulillah now only eight points remain that we are handling. This is the result of joint work by all elements, including TNI, Polri, local government, BPBD, Fire Department, Manggala Agni, MPA, volunteers, and private sector support,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, Rocky Gerung assessed that the quick steps taken by the apparatus on the ground are an important point in breaking the recurring pattern of karhutla that has occurred so far.

“The next 100 days is the end phase of El Nino, meaning there will be extra heat. We know this is a recurring problem every year. But I see there is a good initiative when the apparatus comes down earlier to start handling,” said Rocky.

He emphasised that handling karhutla is not enough with just a technical approach, but also requires collective awareness in preserving the environment.

“We can do water bombing, we can modify the weather, technology can help. But the most important thing is how we maintain our relationship with nature. If that is not maintained, this problem will continue to recur,” he said.

Rocky also stressed that the karhutla issue ultimately reflects the human relationship with the environment.

“Nature has its own laws. We can extinguish the fire, but if our relationship with nature is problematic, then fires will continue to occur. Therefore, involvement of all parties is needed, from the state, society, to academics, to ensure the fires do not spread,” he added.