Forest fires sweep Batam, threatening electrical supply, flights

Even a small spark could ignite a major blaze amid the region’s drying vegetation. Read more at straitstimes.com.

BATAM – Forest fires have swept across Batam in Indonesia’s Riau Islands in recent days, threatening critical infrastructure in the region and producing haze that has disrupted air travel.

Over the weekend, fires spread through a forest near the Batu Besar electricity substation in the provincial capital Batam, which supplies power to thousands of homes across the city.

Spokesperson for the Batam office of the state-owned utility PLN, Mr Yoga Perdana Sulastana, said the fire first broke out on March 21 and quickly advanced toward the facility.

“We immediately contacted the police and firefighters, who managed to extinguish the fire by 10pm on Saturday. However, another fire broke out in a nearby area on Sunday afternoon,” he told The Jakarta Post on March 23.

Mr Yoga added that the second fire was less intense than the first, but the risk of further blaze remains high due to the ongoing extreme heat in Batam.

As at the morning of March 23, firefighting teams remained on standby around the buffer zone of the Batu Besar substation.