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View all search resultsBintan declares forest fire emergency, Dumai blanketed in smoke
Efforts to extinguish fires have been hampered by a scarcity of water because of a drought caused by the long dry season in both provinces.
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Smoke is seen billowing in the background while grass dries out at a forest and land fire location in Berakit village in Bintan Regency, Riau Islands, on March 23, 2026. Bintan regency administration declared a forest and land fire emergency response on March 23 because of increasing fire spots and drought in almost all of Bintan territory. (JP/Fadli)
F
orest and land fires are still raging in Bintan regency, Riau Islands, as the regency administration declares an emergency, while in neighboring Riau province, Dumai city and Pelalawan regency are still fighting to extinguish fires.
Bintan declared a forest fire emergency response on Wednesday for the next 14 days as fires continue to consume the remaining trees and grass along the Tanjungpinang-Tanjung Uban highway in Berakit village.
While the blaze is already contained, the land is scorched and blackened with smoke seen to be rising.
Bintan Regent Roby Kurniawan said the decision to declare an emergency was taken after a significant spike in the number of forest and land fires. The prolonged dry season has exacerbated the situation, triggering a drought in various areas.
“The emergency status was declared because of increased forest and land fires and drought in almost all of Bintan territory," he said while presiding over a meeting at his office on Wednesday.
The regency administration recorded 317 individual fires from January until March with a total area of 251 hectares. Of the 10 districts in Bintan, four have the majority of the fires, East Bintan has 81 fires, followed by Toapaya with 68, Gunung Kijang with 64 and North Bintan with 60.
In Berakit village, workers from a telecommunication firm were seen replacing burned fiber optic cable around a tower on a scorched piece of land.
