Riau Receives Additional Helicopter for Forest and Land Fire Management

Riau Province has again received an additional water bombing helicopter for forest and land fires (Karhutla) from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). The helicopter has landed at Sultan Syarif Kasim (SSK) II Airport in Pekanbaru, bringing the total number of helicopters on standby for Karhutla management in Riau to six.

Head of Prevention and Preparedness at the Riau Regional Disaster Management and Fire Service (BPBD Damkar), Khoiril Fahmi, stated that the additional water bombing helicopter is an Mi-8 type. “Riau Province has again received assistance in the form of one water bombing helicopter from BNPB. The helicopter is now in Pekanbaru,” he said on Sunday (21/6).

With this addition, Riau now has six helicopters for Karhutla operations, comprising five water bombing helicopters and one patrol helicopter. “Now there are six helicopters, five water bombing and one patrol,” he confirmed.

The presence of these helicopters will significantly aid firefighting efforts in Riau, especially in locations difficult for ground teams to reach. “We will use this water bombing helicopter to extinguish Karhutla in areas inaccessible to ground teams, so that fires can be put out more quickly before they spread,” he explained.

He noted that the central government’s support through BNPB demonstrates a strong commitment to maintaining regional preparedness for this year’s dry season. With a more complete fleet, the response to emerging hotspots is expected to be faster and more effective. “We continue to enhance preparedness. With adequate fleet support, hotspot management can be carried out more quickly so that fires do not spread and their impact can be minimised,” he concluded.