Rubbish Burning Causes 85-Hectare Forest and Land Fire in Meranti, One Man Arrested
Police have named a suspect in a case of forest and land fire in Rangsang District, Meranti Islands Regency, Riau. A total of 85 hectares of land was burnt in the incident.
Head of the Meranti Islands Police, AKBP Gede Prasetya Adi Sasmita, said the fire occurred on Tuesday (1/9) on the main road of RT 001/RW 001, Penapat Hamlet, Gemala Sari Village, Rangsang District, Meranti Islands Regency. Police, together with the military and volunteers, went to the scene to extinguish the blaze.
In follow-up to the incident, the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Meranti Islands Police, together with the Forensic Laboratory Team of the Riau Regional Police, went to the location on Thursday (3/9). Officers carried out an examination of the crime scene to investigate the cause of the fire.
“From the crime scene examination, it was found that the first point of fire emerged on land owned by Mr TH, an areca palm plantation,” said AKBP Gede in a statement on Monday (7/9/2026).
The Criminal Investigation Unit of the Meranti Islands Police, together with the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Rangsang Police Station, then conducted a search for TH. It was discovered that TH had fled.
“Mr TH and his wife had fled to his child’s house in Gayung Kiri Village, Rangsang District,” he said.
The team then went to that location and found TH. After persuasive mediation, TH agreed to be taken for questioning by the police at the Rangsang Police Station.
The interrogation revealed that TH admitted to burning rubbish at around 14:00 Western Indonesia Time on Tuesday (1/9). However, after burning the rubbish, he failed to extinguish it, and the fire spread.
“It began at around 09:00 Western Indonesia Time, when Mr TH made a small fire near his hut. At around 11:00 Western Indonesia Time, Mr TH went home for lunch without first extinguishing the fire,” he said.
At 13:40 Western Indonesia Time, TH admitted he returned to his land and found the fire had already spread considerably. He said he attempted to put out the flames, but strong winds caused the fire to grow even larger.
In this case, investigators seized a machete, a saw, matches, two pieces of burnt wood, and a burnt areca palm frond.
For his actions, TH was named a suspect and charged under Article 78 paragraph (3) and/or Article 78 paragraph (4) in conjunction with Article 50 paragraph (3) letter d of Law Number 41 of 1999 on Forestry, as amended by Article 36 point 19 paragraph (4) and/or Article 36 point 19 paragraph (5) of Law Number 6 of 2023 on the Stipulation of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 2 of 2022 on Job Creation into Law.
He was also charged under Article 78 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 50 paragraph (3) letter a of Law Number 41 of 1999 on Forestry, as amended by Article 36 point 19 paragraph (3) of Law Number 6 of 2023 on the Stipulation of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 2 of 2022 on Job Creation into Law.