Riau Targets Zero Forest and Land Fires, Vigilance Maintained
Forest and land fires (karhutla) in Riau Province are currently under control. As of Sunday (27/09/2026), there are no active fire hotspots currently being handled by joint teams in the region.
Despite reaching a zero-fire status, the local government, along with security forces and relevant agencies, continues to increase monitoring efforts. This step is necessary to prevent the re-emergable of flames, especially in areas that previously experienced fires and in peatland zones.
The Head of the Riau Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Edy Afrizal, stated that the forest fire situation in Riau is currently under control. However, joint personnel remain on standby to anticipate any changes in field conditions.
“Alhamdulillah, today the condition in Riau is zero forest fires. There are no active fires currently being handled. However, all personnel remain on alert and monitoring continues because field conditions can change at any time,” said Edy.
According to him, this situation is inseparable from the joint efforts undertaken over the past few weeks. Fire suppression, cooling, and patrolling have been carried out continuously, particularly at locations that were previously burnt.
Cooling measures are vital to ensure that no embers resurface to trigger new fires. Furthermore, the characteristics of peatland mean the potential for fire resurgence must still be anticipated.
“Joint personnel remain on full alert, conducting monitoring to prevent follow-up forest fires in areas previously affected,” said Edy.
Meanwhile, the Head of Public Relations for the Riau Regional Police, Kombes Akmadi, stated that the zero-fire status is no reason to reduce prevention efforts. Patrols and supervision continue in several areas deemed high-risk, including peatland areas.
“The zero forest fire status today must be maintained. Personnel continue to move, conducting patrols and prevention. We must not allow vigilance to decrease once the situation is under control, leading to the reappearance of fire,” said Akmadi.
In addition to patrols, the Riau Regional Police continue to implement prevention measures through community socialisation. Supervision is also directed towards activities that have the potential to trigger fires.
The public is reminded not to clear or prepare land using burning methods. Residents are also requested to report immediately if they find any indications of fire in forest and land areas.
Akmadi stated that the zero-fire status must be maintained through collaboration between all parties. The local government, TNI-Polri (Military and Police), BPBD, Manggala Agni, the business community, and the public all play a role in preventing fires from recurring.
“Collaboration between the local government, TNI-Polri, BPBD, Manggala Agni, the business world, and the community remains the key to ensuring that fires do not happen again,” he concluded.