Indonesia adds hydrant wells to prevent recurring peatland fires

Tanjab Timur, Jambi (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has pledged to add firefighting infrastructure, including hydrant wells, to prevent recurring forest and land fires in peatland areas.

"The water sources for the hydrant wells are relatively available. We will add hoses and carry out maintenance. We will also install additional wells, which we will implement shortly," Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni said in Jambi on Tuesday.

Hydrant wells are water storage facilities specifically used as water sources for firefighting when a fire occurs in an area.

Raja Juli said the hydrant wells built under the Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) program are strategically important because they provide water supplies that can be used during fires.

"The BRGM built the wells as water sources because fires had been anticipated in these areas," he said.

The minister said that to minimize forest and land fires in Jambi, the government had prepared a response plan involving a weather modification operation scheduled to take place from August 27 to 30. Ground personnel will also be reinforced by deploying 500 personnel from the local Forestry Agency.

Collaboration among all stakeholders and the involvement of local communities in providing information are key to minimizing the risk of forest and land fires, the minister said.

According to Raja Juli, the peatland in Jambi is around four meters deep, and it borders a 17,000-hectare protected peat forest. He urged all stakeholders to cooperate in preventing peatland fires.

Additionally, Head of the Fire Care Community Group (MPA) in Pandan Sejahtera Village, East Tanjung Jabung District, Sarwo, said the fire in the area had been brought under control thanks to the availability of 23 active hydrant wells.

Sarwo said the hydrant wells effectively contained the flames and prevented them from reaching the peat forests.

According to Deputy Regent of East Tanjung Jabung Muslimin Tanja, at least 135 hotspots had been recorded in the district from January to August 2026, with August recording the highest number at 53 hotspots. He said fires had burned around 108 hectares of peatland in the district.

Related news: Indonesia's Public Works Ministry joins Jambi wildfire response

Translator: Bayu Prasetyo
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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