Kemenhut Tries to Put Out the Riau Fire, Ensure the Fire Does Not Spread

JAKARTA - Head of the Forest Fire Control Center for the Sumatra Region of the Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut), Ferdian Krisnanto, said that efforts to put out forest and land fires (karhutla) in Riau were still being carried out and ensured that the fire did not spread.

In a statement received by Antara, in Jakarta, Tuesday, February 17, Head of the Sumatera Regional Forest Fire Control Center, Directorate General of Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ferdian said that the joint team consisting of Manggala Agni Kemenhut, BNPB, BMKG, TNI, Polri, BPBD, and related parties prioritized the localization of the fire so that it does not spread and prevent the potential for smoke disasters that have an impact on residential areas.

"The main strategy at this time is to hold the fire from expanding the affected area," said Ferdian.

The combination of dry weather, strong winds, and flammable fuels, he continued, makes the situation on the ground very challenging, so that the deployment of personnel and cross-regional support is carried out in a measured manner.

He said that as many as 160 Manggala Agni personnel were deployed in the extinguishing operation, while another 80 personnel were on alert for patrol and early detection of new fire points.

Reinforcement was also carried out through the mobilization of an additional team from Daops Rengat to Mendol Island, Pelalawan, Daops Siak to Bengkalis, and support from the team from Daops Bukit Tempurung Jambi for the Dumai area.

The fire points are spread across several regencies, such as Kampar, Bengkalis, Siak, and Pelalawan with various land status, including Production Forests, Conversion Production Forests, Conservation Areas, and Other Use Areas.

Some of the locations are near oil palm plantations, communities and companies. In addition, it is also adjacent to residential areas and kavling.

The indication of the cause of the fire varies. In a number of locations it is suspected to have come from land clearing activities with uncontrolled burning of residual vegetation due to strong winds.

The condition of almost 20 days without rain, limited water sources, difficult access, and dry vegetation fuel, especially in peatland with a groundwater level of minus about 90 cm, is the main challenge of the blackout.

He added that support for the Weather Modification Operation (OMC) was an important step to help accelerate handling, especially in areas with difficulty in water sources. The public is asked not to burn land in any form, because the current conditions are very prone to triggering large fires.

The Riau Provincial Government has set the Emergency Karhutla Alert Status through SK Number 102/2026 valid from February 13 to November 30, 2026. In the near future, a Karhutla Task Force will be formed and additional emergency handling support will be submitted.

As part of the strengthening of the response, BNPB through the Riau Provincial BPBD has carried out OMC with a Cessna Grand Caravan C208 aircraft that sowed 1 ton of salt around Siak and Pekanbaru on Monday, February 16.