Smoke Still Rising, Teams Intensify Peat Fire Extinguishing Efforts in Riau

RRI.CO.ID, Bengkalis – Efforts to extinguish forest and land fires in the coastal regions of Riau Province entered their sixth day on Saturday, April 4, 2026. Joint task forces are currently concentrating on neutralizing the "fire head" and mitigating thick smoke emanating from deep peat layers.

Head of the Sumatra Regional Forest Fire Control Center, Ferdian Krisnanto, explained that suppression operations in Titi Akar Village, North Rupat Subdistrict, involve two teams from the Sumatra V/Dumai Regional Operations (Daops). These units are further bolstered by tactical support teams (BKO) from the Sarolangun and Musi Banyuasin regions.

While efforts to secure local residential areas have reportedly been successful, the underground nature of the fire poses a significant challenge.

“Teams are currently striking the fire head on the left flank to impede its spread, while simultaneously reducing smoke at the rear and wings of the fire. This process is time-consuming because the fire has already penetrated deep into the peat soil,” said Ferdian in Pekanbaru, Riau, as quoted by infopublik.id.

Despite these efforts, field operations continue to face a major hurdle, which is a critical shortage of water sources. This scarcity has limited both the mobility of personnel and the overall effectiveness of the suppression strategy.

Meanwhile, in Sekodi Village, Bengkalis subdistrict, a dedicated team is conducting follow-up suppression. The impacted area has reportedly expanded into a single continuous stretch covering several villages, including Teluk Lancar, Sekodi, Palkun, Kelemantan, and Kembung Luar.

Beyond direct firefighting, teams are conducting field assessments to identify requirements for additional personnel, water availability, and access routes. Findings indicate an urgent need for three additional Manggala Agni squads, the fire brigade, two from Siak and one from Pekanbaru.

“The main obstacles remain the limited water supply, the vastness of the affected area, and the high volume of flammable materials at the site,” added Ferdian.

To support the operation, authorities are working to deploy heavy machinery to excavate water reservoirs, clear canals, and construct firebreaks to contain the blaze.

In another location, Gambut Mutiara Village, Teluk Meranti Subdistrict, Pelalawan Regency, a squad from the Rengat Daops is performing "cooling" operations. Although no active flames are visible, the procedure is vital to ensure that embers within the peat layers are fully extinguished and do not reignite.

“The status is not yet 'extinguished' as we still need time to manage the wing and rear sections of the fire,” he noted.

From the air, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has executed two water-bombing sorties. The first focused on Titi Akar, while the second targeted the Bengkalis region.

Furthermore, Weather Modification Operations are being conducted intensively, with four sorties launched throughout the day. Target areas include Dumai, Rupat Island, the Meranti Islands, Pelalawan, Bengkalis, and Siak.

Ferdian expressed hope that these cloud-seeding efforts would trigger rainfall to accelerate the suppression process. “We hope this cloud seeding will encourage rain to speed up the fire handling,” he said.

He also extended his appreciation to all participating agencies and the local community for their ongoing support in the face of these challenging environmental conditions. ***