EduAsiaNews, South Sumatra — Chairman of the Indonesian Forestry Entrepreneurs Association (APHI) Soewarso inspected the Sungai Baung Firebase to assess the readiness of facilities, infrastructure, and personnel ahead of the peak of the 2026 dry season in Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI), South Sumatra.
The Sungai Baung Firebase serves as a command center for forest and land fire prevention and response operated by three APHI member companies—PT Bumi Mekar Hijau (BMH), PT Bumi Andalas Permai (BAP), and PT Sebangun Bumi Andalas Wood Industries (SBA WI). The three companies are partners of APP Group.
During the inspection on Saturday (August 8, 2026), Soewarso, accompanied by APHI South Sumatra Regional Chairman Iwan Setiawan, reviewed the hotspot detection system, personnel and equipment readiness, and rapid-response mechanisms for potential fires.
Soewarso said forest and land fire prevention and response require collaboration among the government, businesses, security forces, communities, and other stakeholders, including in addressing fires occurring outside company concession areas.
“Forest and land fire prevention and response cannot be carried out by one party alone. Cross-sectoral collaboration is needed so that fires can be detected and addressed at the earliest possible stage before they spread,” he said.
Since May 2026, APHI member companies that are APP Group partners in OKI have assisted firefighting operations in several areas outside their concession boundaries. In early August, joint teams were again deployed to respond to a fire in the licensed plantation area of PT Bintang Harapan Palma (BHP), which borders the operational area of PT BMH.
“We greatly appreciate APHI members who have demonstrated concern and actively participated in firefighting operations outside their concession areas,” Soewarso added.
Hundreds of personnel from PT BMH, PT BAP, and PT SBA WI were deployed alongside Manggala Agni, the Indonesian Military (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), and the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD). The operation was supported by five APP Group helicopters and two BPBD helicopters, including aircraft equipped for water-bombing operations to accelerate firefighting and prevent the spread of fire.
Field operations were also strengthened by satellite monitoring and real-time fire monitoring systems. A total of 20 excavators, 10 operational vehicles, and various firefighting equipment were deployed. Canal-blocking systems were also utilized to maintain water availability in fire-prone areas.
Soewarso expressed concern over recurring fires during every dry season in the peatland area of PT BHP. He said the recurring incidents highlighted the need for a more integrated and effective governance approach to prevent forest and land fires in other-use areas (APL) surrounding PBPH concession areas. This would require clear lines of authority, stronger early-detection systems, improved peatland water management, adequate personnel readiness, and closer collaboration among the government, businesses, and communities.
APHI South Sumatra Regional Chairman Iwan Setiawan said the Sungai Baung Firebase functions as an integrated, data-driven coordination center that enables personnel to monitor field conditions and accelerate decision-making.
“The key to forest and land fire control is early prevention. Monitoring systems must be able to provide fast and accurate information so that response teams can act immediately,” he said.
Meanwhile, PT BAP Fire Operation Management Head Panji Bintoro explained that the company’s forest and land fire control system operates 24 hours a day, supported by satellite imagery, automatic weather stations (AWS), a Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS), and rapid-response teams.
The company also operates patrol drones equipped with thermal imaging and artificial intelligence technology to detect potential fires within a range of up to seven kilometers.
“Information from various monitoring systems provides the basis for determining the level of fire risk and the actions that need to be taken immediately in the field,” Panji said.
In addition to technology-based monitoring, prevention efforts include joint patrols with the TNI, community outreach, and the strengthening of early-warning systems in villages surrounding operational areas.
As part of the visit, the APHI delegation also inspected the Baung Central Nursery, which has an annual production capacity of 48–60 million Eucalyptus and Acacia seedlings on a 42-hectare site.
The seedlings undergo quality-control processes before being planted in the field as part of sustainable plantation forest management. The nursery also uses paper pots to reduce plastic consumption, support root development, and improve planting success rates.
APHI said continued investment in technology, personnel capacity, firefighting equipment, and community collaboration will be essential to addressing the peak of the 2026 dry season while protecting forests and surrounding areas from forest and land fires.
