South Sumatra Regional Police Utilise Drones to Extinguish Forest Fires in OKI
Palembang (ANTARA) - The South Sumatra Regional Police, together with the Logistics Staff of the Indonesian National Police, are extinguishing forest and land fires (karhutla) in the Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) Regency by optimising the use of aerial drone technology and the x-fire formula.
The Head of Procurement of Goods and Services for the Indonesian National Police Logistics Staff, Brigadier General Pol. Hery Santoso, stated in OKI on Monday that the firefighting operations have been conducted from Saturday (26/9) until today. The efforts are focused on the peatland areas of Sungai Bungin Village, Pangkalan Lampam District, as well as areas surrounding the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road (Kapal Betung).
“The OKI region possesses vast peatlands that are highly susceptible to fire, and the conditions are difficult to access with minimal water availability, thus requiring extra handling. This innovation of spraying x-fire liquid from the air is far more practical, economical, and minimises risks for personnel on the ground,” he said.
He explained that the use of aerial drones provides support in reaching locations that are difficult for ground personnel to access, as well as areas with limited water resources. Before being implemented in OKI, this technology underwent a series of trials for forest fire management in the Ogan Ilir Regency.
In addition to the firefighting efforts, he urged the community to preserve the environment and cease land clearing practices involving burning.
Meanwhile, the Head of Public Relations for the South Sumatra Regional Police, Commissioner Pol. Nandang Mu’min Wijaya, emphasised that the optimisation of technology is part of strengthening the police response to the threat of forest fires in South Sumatra.
“In accordance with the Regional Police Chief’s directives, forest fire prevention is not only the duty of the police but a shared responsibility to protect the ecosystem and the health of the South Sumatran people. The utilisation of drones and x-fire liquid is a concrete manifestation of optimising handling to prevent fire hotspots from spreading,” said Nandang.
He added that the South Sumatra Regional Police continue to prioritise prevention, rapid response, firefighting, and community education to prevent the emergence of new fire hotspots in the region.