Six Forest and Land Fires Still Blazing Across Four Regencies in Riau
Forest and land fires (Karhutla) on peatland are still affecting six locations spread across four regencies in Riau Province. All of the affected areas remain under active firefighting operations and have not yet been extinguished.
Head of the Sumatra Forest Fire Control Centre (Dalkarhut), Ferdian Krisnanto, said Manggala Agni teams, assisted by a joint task force from the TNI, Polri, BPBD, and the Fire-Aware Community (MPA), are still working hard to extinguish the fires at the affected locations.
“In the Manggala Agni Pekanbaru operational area, there are three locations still being handled. Two are in Rimbo Panjang Village, Tambang District, Kampar Regency, and one is in Pangkalan Baru Village, Siak Hulu, Kampar Regency,” said Ferdian on Friday (14/8).
He explained that at the Karhutla location in Rimbo Panjang Village, Kampar, firefighting operations have been ongoing for three days, with an estimated burned area of around 3 hectares. One Manggala Agni team has been deployed to extinguish the fire, and the flames have not yet been put out.
Also in Rimbo Panjang Village, another fire has burned an estimated 1 hectare. One team is handling the fire, which also remains unextinguished.
Meanwhile, the fire in Pangkalan Baru Village, Siak Hulu District, Kampar Regency, is located within the Buluh Cina Nature Tourism Park (TWA). The burned area is estimated to have reached 6 hectares and is being handled by one Manggala Agni team.
Two other Karhutla locations are still being handled by Manggala Agni Dumai operational area. A fire in Palika Hamlet, Palika District, Rokan Hilir Regency, has burned an estimated 50 hectares. Firefighting at that location involves one team from the Dumai operational area and one support team from the South Labuan Batu operational area.
“Another location is in Buluh Apo Village, Pinggir District, Bengkalis Regency. The Karhutla there has burned an estimated 12 hectares,” he said.
One team from the Dumai operational area and one support team from the Siak operational area have been deployed to extinguish the fire in Buluh Apo Village. Meanwhile, Manggala Agni Rengat operational area is still handling a fire in Sungai Guntung Hilir Urban Village, Rengat District, Indragiri Hulu Regency.
Two Manggala Agni teams from the Rengat operational area have been deployed to extinguish the fire. The Karhutla at that location remains unextinguished.
He stated that firefighting operations will continue to control the Karhutla fires on peatland and prevent the fires from spreading to other areas.
“We will ensure that the Karhutla in Riau is completely extinguished,” he concluded.