Nagan Raya Wildfire Explodes to 60 Hectares Amid Water Scarcity

RRI.CO.ID, Nagan Raya - A week after flames first swept through two villages in Nagan Raya Regency, Aceh Province, firefighting teams are still struggling to fully contain a wildfire that has now charred 60 hectares of land. Their efforts remain severely hampered by fierce winds and a critical shortage of water supply.

As quoted by Antara, the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) of Nagan Raya confirmed Thursday that joint teams have managed to extinguish roughly 40 hectares of the burning area. However, the remaining land remains at risk of further spread.

"From the total of around 60 hectares burned, the joint team has only managed to extinguish about 40 hectares. The remaining area is still under intensive handling as the fire has the potential to continue spreading," said Head of BPBD Nagan Raya, Irfanda Rinaldi, on Thursday, June 5, 2026.

The fire broke out across Kayee Unoe Village in Darul Makmur Subdistrict and Babah Lueng in Tripa Makmur Subdistrict, with the first report reaching BPBD on Friday, May 30. However, authorities believe the blaze had already begun smoldering a day earlier on May 29.

Irfanda described the conditions on the ground as grueling, with teams facing a combination of extreme heat and strong winds that have accelerated the fire's spread across the dry landscape.

"Strong gusts at the scene, combined with a severely limited supply of clean water to support the firefighting fleet," he said, pointing to the two main obstacles slowing containment efforts.

To reinforce operations in hard-to-reach hotspots, BPBD has deployed two portable water pump units to the most inaccessible parts of the fire zone.

The response has been a massive community effort involving personnel from the Nagan Raya Police and the 0116 Nagan Raya Military District Command (Kodim). They have joined BPBD in a coordinated joint operation aimed at preventing the blaze from reaching residential areas.

"The joint team continues to work tirelessly on-site to cut off the fire's movement and keep it from approaching settlements," Irfanda said.

With clear skies and westward winds persisting in the region, BPBD has issued a public warning urging all residents to refrain from clearing land by burning. Officials stressed that current dry conditions make any open burning a serious risk for triggering a wider disaster. ***