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View all search resultsUncleared debris from Sumatra floods triggers wildfire in Aceh
Six months on, cleanup efforts remain slow, heightening concerns that uncleared debris and damaged landscapes could trigger secondary disasters for survivors still living in affected areas.
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Logs and wood debris swept away by flooding and landslides in late November lie in a dense pile on Jan. 27, 2026, in Geudumbak village of Langkahan district, North Aceh regency, Aceh. (Antara/Nova Wahyudi)
D
ebris left uncleared after last year’s massive Sumatra floods has caught fire in North Aceh regency, Aceh, with the fast-moving blaze threatening the homes of survivors still recovering from the initial disaster.
The fire broke out on Wednesday in Babah Krueng village in Sawang district, where piles of logs and branches had accumulated along the banks of the Sawang River, local authorities said.
The debris, spread across roughly 1,200 square meters and stacked up to a meter high, quickly fueled flames that firefighters have been struggling to contain.
Four fire trucks from neighboring Bireuen regency and Lhokseumawe city, along with a police water cannon from Lhokseumawe, were deployed to extinguish the blaze. But firefighters said the fire repeatedly reignited, spreading further each time.
By Friday, the third day of the fire, flames had advanced dangerously close to residential areas in the villages of Babah Krueng, Blang Tarakan and Lhok Bayu.
Police have inspected the site, though the cause of the fire remains unknown. No casualties have been reported so far.
Babah Krueng village head Mahdi said firefighters were struggling to contain the blaze because the flood debris had become tinder dry after months of exposure, turning the piles of logs and branches into highly flammable fuel.
