Riau, April 29 -- The government declared a forest and land fire emergency status for Riau Province from April until November or December this year, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan stated.

"According to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predictions, the emergency status declared in Riau Province should be in effect until November or December 2025," Gunawan remarked after holding a meeting here on Tuesday.

He outlined several reasons for designating Riau Province as being under a forest and land fire disaster emergency status until the end of the year.

One factor is that the area burned in Riau has reached 81 hectares so far, the highest compared to other fire-prone province...