Tapaktuan — Firefighters in Indonesia's South Aceh extinguished 10.5 hectares of forest and peatland fire that has burned for a week in Trumon Timur subdistrict, the Sumatra Forest Fire Control Agency said on Sunday, 12 July 2026 as the blaze that started on 6 July and continued smoldering across dozens of hectares.
The fire broke out Monday, 5 July in the Seuneubok Pusaka area of Trumon Timur, South Aceh, and quickly spread through peatland vegetation, burning including young trees, shrubs, ferns and oil palm, according to the agency, that is part of Indonesia's Forestry Ministry.
The blaze grew rapidly in its first days, expanding from an initial 20 hectares to 23 hectares by the second day and 28 hectares by later reports, before firefighting teams began gaining ground.
Ferdian Krisnanto, head of the Sumatra Forest Fire Control Agency said on Sunday marked the seventh day of suppression efforts, with a cumulative 10.5 hectares successfully extinguished.
"As of the seventh day of firefighting, the total area of forest and land fire successfully extinguished in the Seuneubok Pusaka area, Trumon Timur subdistrict, South Aceh district, reached 10.5 hectares," Ferdian said, adding that weather conditions on Sunday were clear with wind speeds of about nine kilometers per hour.
He explained that the burned land falls under a peatland concession bordering a conservation zone, with fire burning both on the surface and underground, complicating extinguishing efforts.
Crews from the Manggala Agni firefighting unit - under the Forestry Mionittry - based at Operating area Sumatra I/Sibolangit, have been working alongside personnel from Aceh's Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and employees of a local plantation company.
However, Ferdian said smoke was still visible at the site as of Sunday, though flames had largely subsided.
Access to the fire site takes 20 to 30 minutes from a field post at PT Argo Sinergi Nusantara, the enivornmental activist said.
