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View all search resultsPrabowo shifts to leading Sumatra fire response
The President visited Riau on Monday to oversee firefighting efforts as blazes rage amid persisting dry conditions, just a day after officiating a meeting on the fire response in Kalimantan.
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A motorcyclist and a passenger pass along a road shrouded in haze caused by wildfires on Aug. 23, 2026, in Banyuasin regency, South Sumatra. (REUTERS/Abriansyah Liberto)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto traveled to Riau on Aug. 24 to oversee efforts to contain forest and peatland fires as authorities grapple with persistent blazes amid dry conditions that are expected to continue for weeks.
The President arrived in Pekanbaru on Monday morning and led a meeting with officials to discuss the fire response.
The visit comes after his recent inspection of fire-hit areas in Kalimantan, where the government has deployed additional aircraft, personnel and water pumps to help with firefighting.
M. Edy Afrizal, chief of the Riau Disaster Mitigation and Firefighting Agency, told the President that the fires this year had been more severe than last year’s, partly due to a strong El Nino.
Read also: Govt cracks down on land burning in Kalimantan
Edy said despite worsening conditions, firefighters and other authorities had stepped up their response. He added that as of Aug. 23, as many as 306 hot spots remained across seven locations in four regencies, affecting around 900 hectares.
“The areas that are still relatively extensive are in Pelalawan regency, in Kerumutan, and Kampar regency, in Rimbo Panjang,” he told an online meeting.
