A peat land fire in Desa Lapang and Desa Suak Raya, Kecamatan Johan Pahlawan, Meulaboh, Aceh Barat, has expanded to 10 hectares due to strong winds and hot weather. BPBD personnel, along with TNI, Polri, and local residents, continue efforts to extinguish the fire, which is still spreading slowly.
The Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (BPBD) of Aceh Barat Regency reported that a peat land fire in Desa Lapang and Desa Suak Raya, Kecamatan Johan Pahlawan, Meulaboh, has expanded from 9 to 10 hectares on Wednesday (January 21, 2026). The fire affects two main points: about 7 hectares in Desa Suak Raya and 3 hectares in Dusun Ujong Beurasok, Desa Lapang. Contributing factors include strong winds, high temperatures, and the flammable nature of peat land. Smoke from the fire is beginning to disrupt breathing for residents nearby, including in Meulaboh, the regency's capital. Acting Head of BPBD Aceh Barat, Teuku Ronald Nehdiansyah, stated, “The strong winds at the fire location cause the flames to easily spread to other areas, but we are still carrying out extinguishing efforts up to now.” The flames continue to spread slowly and could expand further due to the intense wind gusts, requiring extra effort from responders. Extinguishing operations involve collaboration between BPBD, TNI and Polri personnel, and local residents to prevent further spread.
