(Jakarta) Latest data from the Riau Provincial Police in Indonesia shows that forest and land fire cases for 2025 have surged by 205% compared to the previous year, jumping from 20 cases in 2024 to 61 cases, drawing heightened attention and response from law enforcement agencies.
Riau Provincial Police Chief Herry revealed on January 1 that last year the police arrested 70 suspected arsonists, far surpassing the 23 in 2024. He emphasized that this does not indicate forest fires are out of control, but rather reflects the police’s tougher crackdown on arson in order to prevent fire outbreaks.
Police data indicates that in 2025, a total of 148 cases related to natural resources and ecosystems were handled, including not only forest and land fires, but also illegal logging, unauthorized forestry activities, oil and gas extraction, as well as mining violations.
Herry pointed out that Riau Province’s forest cover has continued to decline over recent years, dropping from an original 5.6 million hectares to only 1.4 million hectares. About 75% of this loss is attributed to fires and illegal logging, although he did not specify the year-by-year rate of forest loss.
According to the Global Forest Watch, Riau Province lost approximately 4.3 million hectares of forest between 2001 and 2024, reflecting a severe ecological degradation problem.
In response to the rising risk of fires, Riau police, in addition to ramping up law enforcement, have teamed up with local government and relevant agencies to implement multiple preventive measures. These include distributing fire prevention leaflets, hanging warning banners, conducting patrols, digging isolation trenches, and organizing community discussion sessions—all aimed at reducing fire incidents at the source.
Police data indicates that in 2025, a total of 148 cases related to natural resources and ecosystems were handled, including not only forest and land fires, but also illegal logging, unauthorized forestry activities, oil and gas extraction, as well as mining violations.
Herry pointed out that Riau Province’s forest cover has continued to decline over recent years, dropping from an original 5.6 million hectares to only 1.4 million hectares. About 75% of this loss is attributed to fires and illegal logging, although he did not specify the year-by-year rate of forest loss.
According to the Global Forest Watch, Riau Province lost approximately 4.3 million hectares of forest between 2001 and 2024, reflecting a severe ecological degradation problem.
In response to the rising risk of fires, Riau police, in addition to ramping up law enforcement, have teamed up with local government and relevant agencies to implement multiple preventive measures. These include distributing fire prevention leaflets, hanging warning banners, conducting patrols, digging isolation trenches, and organizing community discussion sessions—all aimed at reducing fire incidents at the source.