Jakarta, July 24 -- The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has reported that 44 persons have been named suspects for intentionally starting fires that grew into land and forest fires in Riau province from January to July 2025.

In a statement released in Jakarta on Wednesday, BNPB head Suharyanto affirmed that law enforcement in forest and land fire cases is being consistently pursued through the law enforcement task force.

"To date, 35 forest and land fire incidents have been legally processed, with 44 suspects. This is a concrete step to provide a deterrent effect and prevent people from clearing land by burning," he said.

He emphasized that the majority of forest and land fires in Riau are not caused by natural factors but ar...