44 Individuals Investigated In Forest And Land Fire Cases In Riau – BNPB

JAKARTA, July 23 (Bernama) --  A total of 44 individuals have been identified as suspects in the forest and land fires that have affected Riau Province, Indonesia from January to July this year, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

In a coordination meeting held in Pekanbaru on Tuesday to address the fires, BNPB chief Lieutenant General Suharyanto said that 35 fire incidents had been recorded following enforcement actions by the authorities.

“Enforcement of the law has been carried out and 44 individuals have been identified as suspects so far,” he said in a statement.

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According to Suharyanto, the fires are not solely caused by dry weather but are largely driven by human activity – specifically the deliberate burning of land for agricultural purposes.

“I have personally observed this trend over the years – these fires are the result of human actions. We cannot allow this to continue,” he stressed.

He urged the public not to clear land by burning and to immediately report any suspicious burning activity to the police, military, or local authorities.

Suharyanto also stated that the number of hotspots had shown a slight decline following cloud seeding operations that began on Monday using one aircraft, with another aircraft to be added to maximise firefighting efforts.

“This technique is the most effective, especially for peatland areas, because while the fire may appear extinguished on the surface, it can still be burning underground,” he said.

It was reported that the forest and land fires have affected 12 districts in Riau, covering more than 100 hectares, with Bengkalis and Kampar being the worst hit.

-- BERNAMA