5 helicopters, 1 aircraft arrive in Jambi to support wildfire response

Jambi (ANTARA) - Five helicopters and one aircraft for weather modification operations have arrived at Sultan Thaha Airport in Jambi to support ongoing efforts to combat forest and land fires that continue to spread across the province.

The Head of Jambi’s Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Bachyuni Deliansyah, said on Sunday that the helicopters and aircraft were provided by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and the Indonesian National Police Headquarters.

“All five water bombing helicopters and one weather modification aircraft, provided by BNPB and the National Police Headquarters, have now arrived in Jambi following our formal request for assistance submitted to the central government,” he said.

The support includes two helicopters for aerial water bombing, two patrol helicopters, and one Thrush S2R-T34 aircraft assigned to conduct cloud seeding operations as part of the weather modification strategy.

Additionally, one patrol helicopter was deployed by the Security Maintenance Agency (Baharkam) of the National Police. Deliansyah added that two of the water bombing helicopters have already been dispatched to peatland areas in Gambut Jaya Village, Muaro Jambi Regency, to conduct firefighting operations.

“As of now, forest and land fires in Gambut Jaya Village have spread to approximately 270 hectares, and the affected area continues to expand,” he stated.

Authorities hope that the additional aerial firefighting fleet from the central government will accelerate suppression efforts and minimize the broader impact of the fires.

Forest and land fires in Jambi have been burning since Monday, July 21.

Joint task force teams have been working tirelessly to contain the fires, battling difficult terrain and limited water supplies, as the fire zones are located far from accessible water sources.