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View all search resultsThick smoke from Riau forest fires disrupts Idul Fitri travels
Rokan Hilir Police chief Sr. Adj. Comr. Isa Imam Syahronu said authorities were struggling to extinguish fires that have burned around 30 hectares of land in Rantau Bais village and Ujung Tanjung village, about 20 kilometers away.
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A firefighter from the Environment and Forestry Ministry’s Manggala Agni fire brigade works to extinguish a forest fire on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Antara/Teguh prihatna)
T
hick smoke from widespread forest fires in Riau has disrupted the Idul Fitri mudik (exodus), reducing visibility to just 10 meters on key roads and raising safety concerns among travelers.
Muhammad Arifin, who was traveling from Pekanbaru in Riau to his hometown of Medan, North Sumatra, on Sunday, said thick smoke blanketed a 1-kilometer stretch of road in Rantau Bais village in Rokan Hulu regency, forcing motorists to slow down and turn on their headlamps.
“The fire was only a few dozen meters from the roadside. The smoke was extremely thick and covered the road. It felt like we were feeling our way along the road because visibility was so limited,” he said on Sunday.
Arifin said the poor visibility posed a serious risk to road users, especially as traffic surges during the annual mudik season.
“The road is a key route linking Riau with neighboring North Sumatra and is always busy with private cars, intercity buses and heavy trucks. During the Lebaran mudik, traffic increases sharply, so disruptions such as smoke from forest fires need to be addressed quickly,” he said.
Ari Nadem, who was also traveling with his family from Pekanbaru to Medan on Saturday along the trans-Sumatra Highway, voiced similar concerns.
“Visibility was extremely limited, and I had to drive carefully to avoid accidents,” he told Kompas.com on Saturday.
