Lahat, South Sumatra, 9 September 2026 - A fire that broke out on land belonging to a resident of Wanaraya Village, Kikim Barat District, Lahat Regency, South Sumatra, was brought under control in around 31 minutes. The swift response from PT Sawit Mas Sejahtera's (SMS) firefighting team, part of Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food, working hand in hand with the landowner, helped stop the flames from spreading to neighbouring community plantations.
The fire was spotted by the Jaga Api patrol team at 8.18pm local time, roughly one kilometre from the edge of the company's operational area. With the site dominated by dry grass and scrub, the blaze had every chance of spreading fast if it wasn't tackled straight away. Riduan Sitorus, Manager of PT Sawit Mas Sejahtera, was alerted and immediately sent a firefighting team to the scene.
Six personnel were deployed to bring the fire under control alongside the landowner. The team brought one fire engine and three sets of hand tools (gepyok) to fight the flames on site. Thanks to the joint effort, the fire was contained and confirmed extinguished, sparing the surrounding community plantations from any damage.
Once the fire was out, the PT Sawit Mas Sejahtera team took the opportunity to remind the landowner about preventing forest, land and plantation fires. Sarmin, the landowner, expressed his gratitude for the team's help.
"Thank you to the PT Sawit Mas Sejahtera team for coming to help us deal with the fire on this land. At the time we were worried the flames would spread to nearby plots because the grass was so dry. With the team's help and working together on the ground, we managed to get the fire under control before it could spread further," said Sarmin.
This response forms part of PT Sawit Mas Sejahtera's ongoing readiness for potential fires during the dry season. Ahead of this period, PT Sawit Mas Sejahtera, together with PT Prisma Cipta Mandiri and PT Bumi Sawit Permai, both also part of Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food, had already strengthened preparations through a Fire Control Readiness Assembly (Apel Siaga Dalkarhutlabun), firefighting simulations, and reinforced coordination and readiness of both personnel and equipment. Around 90 personnel from the three companies took part.
At village level, PT Sawit Mas Sejahtera also works closely with the village government on prevention efforts, including reminding residents engaged in farming activities to help prevent fires from starting. Should a fire break out near the company's operational area, the company stands ready to lend a hand if the village requests support.
"Early detection is one of the keys to tackling fires before they can spread further. That's why keeping personnel, equipment and coordination on the ground in good shape matters so much. At the same time, prevention efforts remain a vital part of reducing fire risk," said Riduan Sitorus, Manager of PT Sawit Mas Sejahtera.
Beyond maintaining response readiness, PT Sawit Mas Sejahtera continues to run outreach and awareness campaigns on preventing forest, land and plantation fires among employees, nearby villagers and landowners around its operational areas. These efforts are further reinforced through warning signs placed at strategic points. Patrols and firefighting readiness will continue as part of the drive to support early detection and rapid response to potential fires, while helping protect the communities and environment around the company's operational areas.