Enviro News Asia, Riau — Firefighting teams from Manggala Agni under the Sumatra Regional Forest Fire Control Center (Dalkarhut) have intensified suppression efforts to contain forest and land fires in three areas of Riau Province, involving Dumai City, Bengkalis Regency, and Siak Regency.
The operations are being carried out in coordination with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), National Police (Polri), Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Fire and Rescue units, and local community-based fire brigades.
Head of the Sumatra Regional Forest Fire Control Center, Ferdian Krisnanto, said that in Dumai City, Manggala Agni Daops Sumatra V/Dumai, together with joint personnel, conducted fire suppression at two locations. Fires affected approximately two hectares in Mundam Subdistrict, Medang Kampai District, and around 3.5 hectares in Bagan Keladi Subdistrict, West Dumai District.
In Bengkalis Regency, Manggala Agni Daops Sumatra VI/Siak, supported by joint firefighting teams including company fire brigades from PT Bukit Batu Hutani Alam, is combating fires covering about 10 hectares in Sepahat Village, Bandar Laksamana District.
Ferdian also confirmed that firefighting teams are simultaneously working to contain fires in Benayah Village, Pusako District, Siak Regency. Fire suppression efforts in the region face significant challenges due to limited access to water sources.
He stated that heavy equipment support is being arranged to deepen water reservoirs to secure sufficient water for firefighting operations.
Ferdian instructed firefighting teams to cut off the head of the fire and localize the burned areas to prevent further spread and reduce the risk of large-scale smoke that could potentially cause transboundary haze.
To strengthen preparedness and optimize resource deployment, he urged the Riau provincial and local governments to consider declaring an emergency response status, similar to measures already taken in West Aceh Regency and Sambas and Kubu Raya regencies in West Kalimantan, which are also experiencing forest and land fires.
According to the Fine Fuel Moisture Code (FFMC) data published by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), surface fuel conditions in Riau Province are expected to remain dry over the coming days, requiring heightened vigilance from all stakeholders. (*)
