Jakarta. The year 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the Fire Free Village Program (FFVP), a fire prevention initiative run by pulp and paper producer APRIL Group in Riau Province.

This program supports Masyarakat Peduli Api (MPA), a program led by the Environment Ministry, that aims to prevent forest and land fires at the grassroots.

Over the past decade, this comprehensive initiative has cultivated strong partnerships with local communities, actively engaging them in fire prevention and awareness initiatives. These efforts promote a deep understanding of the environmental and social consequences of fire, empowering communities to become active participants in fire prevention efforts.

As part of the FFVP, APRIL trains community fire crew leaders and promotes sustainable agricultural alternatives to the slash-and-burn methods. APRIL also helps monitor the air quality and conduct community awareness campaigns.

As of June 2023, the program now encompasses 42 villages in five districts in the Riau Province, covering a total area of over 90,000 hectares. According to APRIL’s official website, FFVP has lowered fire incidents within the FFVP areas by up to 90 percent since the program began.

At the heart of APRIL’s FFVP lies the unwavering dedication of crew leaders like Suherpan, who has been safeguarding the forests of Teluk Meranti since 2019. These individuals form the backbone of the FFVP, tirelessly advocating for fire prevention and actively engaging with communities to build knowledge and capability. They stand on the frontline for fire suppression during the fire period.

Crew leaders are hand-picked by the village leadership and undergo extensive training by APRIL on forest and land protection, fire monitoring, and fire suppression skills. They are also equipped with knowledge of sustainable agriculture practices to help communities shift their livelihood practice from harvesting commodities such as palm oil and rubber to vegetables, chili, and other food crops, aimed at developing community self-sufficiency.

Rangers are tasked with detecting illegal logging and wildlife trade, ensuring the comprehensive protection of our forest. 

“We are banding together with the police and other agencies to prevent forest and land fires here in Riau,” Suherpan said.

During each fire period, a coordination meeting is held at the provincial, regency, and village levels, bringing together government leaders, representatives from the private sector, police, armed forces, the disaster mitigation agency, frontliners, and fire brigades. This collaborative approach ensures that all stakeholders are aligned in their efforts to prevent and combat forest fires.

Pelalawan is among the villages that are taking part in FFVP. The village spans 21,000 hectares, and its primary livelihood activities involve the cultivation of palm oil plantations and fishing. These livelihoods have historically been prone to fires due to the traditional slash-and-burn method for clearing and preparing land for planting palm and fish smoking.

Pelalawan head Musa recalled the harrowing memories of children unable to play outside coupled with economic losses due to damaged crops in 2015.

”People were restricted from many outdoor activities. You couldn’t see very far, and breathing was difficult,” Musa said.

“The damage to crops and the long wait for new ones to mature was devastating, to the point that these experiences have made people extremely cautious about starting fires, especially for land clearing,” he added.

The commitment to FFVP was not a difficult sell to the people of Pelalawan. As a bonus, FFVP offered a reward that benefited every member of the community. The village has been successful in keeping zero fire, and they received prize money to build the infrastructure such as an administrative office and a public toilet. Today, village leaders say open and widespread use of fire in their areas is almost unthinkable.

“There is a prevention mindset now, especially among the younger generation,” Musa said.

Teluk Meranti also has a similar experience. The village is close in proximity to APRIL’s Meranti estate by 3 kilometers, making it highly important to educate the community about fire prevention. According to the village head Tengku Said Yusmar, with the main livelihood on fishing and tourism, widespread use of fire to clear land was uncommon. It is close in proximity to APRIL’s Meranti estate by 3 kilometers, making it highly important to educate the community about fire prevention.

Nevertheless, the village suffered from the widespread fires in 2015.

 “It needed three water helicopters, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency [BNPB], and the local fire brigades [MPA] as well as APRIL’s own firefighting equipment, water bombs, helicopters, and firefighters,” Said added.

The massive fire outbreak was a stark reminder of the risks they faced, which included fires resulting from cigarette butts, cooking smoke, and new settlers’ campfires. The introduction of the FFVP prompted an increased focus on fire prevention and awareness. It has empowered the community to cultivate degraded land to prevent drought fires and engage newcomers in fire prevention efforts. Teluk Meranti then earned its zero-fire status and received an FFVP infrastructure reward, which was deployed to build an access road.