Riau's Sokoi-Pelalawan Karhutla Fires Intensify

Efforts to extinguish forest and land fires (Karhutla) in Sokoi, Pelalawan Regency, Riau, continue. Abundant vegetation and rapidly changing strong winds pose major challenges in controlling the flames at the site. Two Manggala Agni teams from Daops Rengat are still battling to extinguish fires in an area dominated by scrubland and dry vegetation over peatland. Karhutla smoke is still visible from multiple points, prompting personnel to act swiftly from early morning to prevent the fire from spreading further as temperatures rise. Ferdian Krisnanto, Head of the South Sumatra Forest Fire Control Agency (Dalkarhut), said field conditions require firefighting teams to start work earlier as morning weather is more conducive to extinguishing fires compared to the afternoon. “In Sokoi, two Daops Rengat teams began operations before 8:00 AM WIB. Morning smoke visibility necessitates swift action before midday to control the blaze more easily. We are utilising the morning hours to suppress the fire before weather conditions worsen,” said Ferdian on Monday (1/6). He explained that the main challenge for personnel is the abundant natural fuel in the form of scrubland and dry vegetation, which ignites easily. This is compounded by the location’s wind patterns, which frequently change direction and swirl, potentially accelerating fire spread. “The fuel load at the site is ample and highly flammable. Additionally, winds during the day are often strong, shifting direction or swirling, requiring constant vigilance. This necessitates ongoing adjustments to firefighting strategies based on field developments,” he added. Meanwhile, in Kandis, Siak Regency, Manggala Agni teams from Daops Pekanbaru are conducting mop-up and cooling operations. Air monitoring indicates significant progress in controlling the fire, but final sweeping operations are still being conducted to ensure no residual embers remain. “For Kandis, control progress appears positive based on air monitoring. However, teams continue thorough sweeping and cooling to prevent any risk of reignition,” he said. In other locations, such as Rantau Bais, Rokan Hilir Regency, the South Sumatra Dalkarhut has reinforced firefighting efforts by deploying an additional team from Daops Dumai to bolster on-site personnel. “An additional Daops Dumai team joined today to strengthen operations in Rantau Bais. We remain on standby for further personnel deployment if needed. Field conditions will be continuously assessed to determine subsequent response measures,” he explained. He also confirmed all Manggala Agni personnel remain fully on alert to address Karhutla developments across various Riau regions. “Particularly in areas with dry vegetation and peatland, which are highly prone to fire spread,” he concluded. Manggala Agni teams have been deployed to Mendol Island and Sokoi to contain the spread of Riau’s Karhutla. Firefighting in Rokan Hilir and Siak has entered the cooling phase. The extent of forest and land fires (Karhutla) in Riau Province, exacerbated by Super El Niño, is increasingly concerning, having reached 14,855 hectares from January to April 2026. Rain has fallen evenly across Riau Province, leading to the cessation of cloud seeding (OMC) operations for extinguishing Karhutla. Riau’s Karhutla Task Force successfully extinguished fires in Rokan Hilir and Pelalawan using water bombing helicopters. Personnel are now focusing on cooling the peatland. The area of forest and land fires (Karhutla) in Riau has surged 20-fold to 8,555.37 hectares compared to 2025. Indonesia and South Korea are developing a Forest and Land Fire Management Centre in South Sumatra to strengthen Karhutla control and address El Niño threats. The death of a Manggala Agni personnel in Bengkalis has prompted calls from Indonesia’s House of Representatives for improved safety standards and insurance. The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) continues to strengthen efforts to control forest and land fires (Karhutla).