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View all search resultsRiau, South Sumatra brace for forest fires as El Niño looms
The two provinces hold the largest share of peatland in Sumatra, covering roughly half of Riau and a quarter of South Sumatra, making them particularly prone to recurring fires.
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A fireman of the Environment and Forestry Ministry’s Manggala Agni fire brigade works to extinguish a forest fire on Feb. 9, 2026, in the protected forest area of Taman Lestari in Batam, Riau Islands. A joint team of the military, police, Manggala Agni and the Batam city administration put out five of six detected hot spots. (Antara/Teguh prihatna)
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uthorities in Riau and South Sumatra are bracing for a surge in forest and peatland fires as the threat of a potential “super El Niño” intensifies, raising the possibility of a prolonged and much hotter dry season.
The two provinces hold the largest share of peatland in Sumatra, covering roughly half of Riau and a quarter of South Sumatra, making them particularly prone to recurring fires.
Acting Riau governor SF Hariyanto said his administration had declared a fire emergency alert from Feb. 13 to Nov. 30, to anticipate heightened risks ahead of the looming dry season.
“We cannot afford to be complacent. Our wildfire mitigation strategy must be comprehensive, from early detection to rapid response when fires occur,” he said on Tuesday.
Hariyanto added that the province had set aside contingency funds and readied aerial support, including water bombing and weather-modification operations.
He also urged forest concession holders to step up security across their operational areas and prioritize preventive measures over firefighting efforts to minimize potential damage.
Hariyanto said that beyond its vast peatlands, Riau continues to grapple with human-driven risks, including slash-and-burn land clearing, illegal logging and weak peatland management.
