Riau Regional Police Utilise X Fire and Drones to Tackle Siak Forest Fires, 5 Hotspots Extinguished
The Riau Regional Police are optimising the use of technology in handling forest and land fires (Karhutla) in Siak Regency. X Fire liquid and specialised firefighting drones have been deployed to accelerate the extinguishing process and ensure that embers in peatlands are completely extinguished.
This technology was utilised during firefighting and cooling operations in Suka Mulya Village, Dayun District, Siak Regency, on Friday (11/09/202lam).
Kombes I Ketut Gede Adi Wibawa, Head of the Riau Regional Police Forest Fire Handling Operation and Commander of the Brimob Unit, stated that the use of X Fire is focused on areas that continue to emit smoke after the initial firefighting process. The liquid assists in the cooling process as it can penetrate the soil layers and reach embers still trapped beneath the surface.
“The characteristics of peatland require different handling. Fire that appears extinguished on the surface is not necessarily gone, as embers can still remain underground. X Fire helps the liquid penetrate and extinguish the remaining embers,” said Ketut on Saturday (12/09/2026).
Based on monitoring by teams on the ground, areas treated with X Fire no longer emit smoke. This serves as an initial indicator that the cooling process is capable of reaching heat sources that were previously trapped.
In addition to X Fire, joint teams are operating specialised firefighting drones to reach hotspots that are difficult for personnel to access via land routes. The use of drones is considered vital, given that parts of the fire locations in Suka Mulya Village consist of scrubland with limited access.
“Drones help us reach points that are difficult for personnel to reach. Therefore, this technology is not replacing personnel on the ground, but rather strengthening operational capabilities to ensure firefighting is faster, more effective, and safer,” he added.
During the operation, the team identified nine hotspots. As of Friday afternoon, five hotspots had been successfully extinguished, while the remaining four were still being handled, with firefighting efforts continuing on Saturday morning.
Ketut emphasised that operations do not cease once the fire is no longer visually apparent. Cooling continues to prevent embers from reigniting and triggering further fires, particularly in peatland areas.
“We must ensure that not only is the fire out, but the embers beneath the surface are also completely dead. Therefore, firefighting and cooling are carried out continuously until the location is declared safe,” he asserted.
The handling of forest and land fires in Suka Mulya Village involves joint personnel from the Riau Regional Police, Brimob, Siak Police, TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces), BPBD (Regional Disaster Management Agency), Manggala Agni, the Siak Regency Fire Department, and corporate representatives. The operation is part of the Riau Regional Police’s efforts to combine ground personnel strength with technological utilisation to accelerate forest fire response, especially in areas with peatland characteristics and difficult access.