Wildfires in West Aceh Destroy 13 Hektaras of Land

RRI.CO.ID, Meulaboh - Wildfires have ravaged West Aceh Regency over the past two days, destroying approximately 13 hectares of land across the Bubon and Johan Pahlawan Subdistricts. The fires have decimated local vegetation and triggered thick smog across several affected villages, beginning to disrupt daily activities and threaten the health of residents living near the disaster zones.

The West Aceh Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) is continuously intensifying suppression efforts to contain the blaze. As of Monday night, June 1, 2026, several hotspots remained active and threatened to spread to adjacent lands.

According to reports from the West Aceh BPBD Disaster Control Operations Center (Pusdalops PB), the initial blaze broke out on Saturday, May 30, 2026, tearing through Berawang and Kuta Padang Layung villages in Bubon Subdistrict. The following day, the BPBD received additional reports of a fire in Lapang Village, located in Johan Pahlawan Subdistrict.

Upon receiving reports from local residents, the West Aceh BPBD immediately conducted field verifications and deployed emergency response personnel to the affected sites.

A total of 16 personnel from the BPBD headquarters were deployed to assist with firefighting operations, alongside five personnel from the Woyla Fire Station. Crews have focused on extinguishing the flames and creating firebreaks at several critical points, utilizing two portable pump units owned by the BPBD.

Personnel from the Indonesian Military and the West Aceh Police have also joined the containment efforts, operating firefighting equipment at various locations to accelerate control over the blazes.

Preliminary data indicates that the total burnt area has reached roughly 13 hectares. Bubon Subdistrict accounts for the vast majority of the damage, with 12 hectares affected, while Johan Pahlawan Subdistrict recorded one hectare of scorched land.

Thus far, responders have managed to contain approximately 4.2 hectares in Bubon District, representing roughly 35 percent of the total affected area in that sector. Meanwhile, the fire in Johan Pahlawan Subdistrict has been completely extinguished.

However, crews continue to detect several residual hotspots that could potentially trigger secondary outbreaks. On-site weather conditions remain a major obstacle, strong winds are rapidly fanning the flames across multiple locations, while dense smoke has severely reduced visibility for the firefighting teams.

In a related development, the Central Aceh Police are ramping up preventative measures against forest and land fires as the region enters the dry season. Mitigation efforts are being carried out through integrated patrols and public awareness campaigns.

"These activities were conducted across the entire jurisdiction of the Central Aceh Police on Sunday, May 31, 2026. Patrols are being carried out continuously by the Regency Police, Subdistrict Police, and sub-sector units," conveyed Central Aceh Police Chief, Adj. Sr. Com. Muhamad Taufiq. (Annaila Azzahra/EN)