Thick smoke from Riau forest fires disrupts Hari Raya travel for Indonesians

Although firefighters brought the blaze under control, smoke was still rising from the burned peatland. Read more at straitstimes.com.

PEKANBARU, Indonesia - Thick smoke from widespread forest fires in Riau has disrupted the Idul Fitri (Hari Raya Aidilfitri) mudik (exodus), reducing visibility to just 10m on key roads and raising safety concerns among travellers.

Mr Muhammad Arifin, who was traveling from Pekanbaru in Riau to his hometown of Medan, North Sumatra, on March 15, said thick smoke blanketed a 1km stretch of road in Rantau Bais village in Rokan Hulu regency, forcing motorists to slow down and turn on their headlamps.

“The fire was only a few dozen meters from the roadside. The smoke was extremely thick and covered the road. It felt like we were feeling our way along the road because visibility was so limited,” he said on March 15.

Mr Arifin said the poor visibility posed a serious risk to road users, especially as traffic surges during the annual mudik season.

“The road is a key route linking Riau with neighboring North Sumatra and is always busy with private cars, intercity buses and heavy trucks. During the Lebaran (Hari Raya Aidilfitri) mudik, traffic increases sharply, so disruptions such as smoke from forest fires need to be addressed quickly,” he said.

Mr Ari Nadem, who was also traveling with his family from Pekanbaru to Medan on March 14 along the trans-Sumatra Highway, voiced similar concerns.