Riau receives additional support with one 'water bombing' helicopter

Pekanbaru — The Riau Provincial Government has received additional support in the form of one water bombing helicopter unit, which will be utilised to support aerial forest and land fire suppression operations. The Head of the Riau Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Edy Afrizal, stated that there are currently two helicopters stationed to support fire management in Riau: one water bombing helicopter and another for patrol purposes.

He further explained that there were originally two water bombing helicopters in the region; however, one was temporarily reassigned to Aceh Province to assist with fire management there. “Currently, one water bombing helicopter is being seconded to Aceh. Once its task is completed, it will return to Riau,” he said.

He noted that the addition of this fleet is part of the government’s efforts to increase preparedness as the dry season begins to be felt in several areas. This additional fleet is expected to improve the effectiveness of extinguishing fire hotspots from the air and accelerate response times in areas that are difficult to reach via land routes.

In addition to strengthening suppression facilities, the agency is also continuing to increase prevention efforts through aerial patrols and monitoring fire-prone areas. This is because weather conditions in Riau are entering a period that requires vigilance. Uneven rainfall has caused some areas to begin experiencing drought, potentially triggering land fires. While some regions are still experiencing rain, other areas are becoming dry, making the land highly flammable.