TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Special Task Force for Forest and Land Fire Mitigation discovered burning land within the territory of the Tesso Nilo National Park in Pelalawan, Riau Province

"There were huts around the burning land," said Lt. Col. Firman Dwi Cahyono, Chief of Operation at the Roesmin Nurjadi Airbase on Thursday, January 12, 2017.

Firman said that the burning land was located at around 54 kilometers away from the Roesmin Nurjadin Airbase in Pekanbaru. Firman added that there are indications of deliberate burning seeing from the number of oil palm plantations located in the burning area. "[The land] were intentionally burned," Firman said.

Chief of the Tesso Nilo National Park Nilo Supartono denied that the burning land was located within the Tesso Nilo National Park territory. "The burning land is located outside the national park," Supartono said, adding that the burning land is located five kilometres away from the park.

Supartono added that currently a forest fire mitigation team from the Manggala Agni and the Natural Resources Conservation Agency are attempting to extinguish the fire.

RIYAN NOFITRA