APP deploys fire management teams to enhance firefighting efforts

APP says the addition of international fire management teams into APP and its pulpwood suppliers' firefighting management teams will improve fire suppression strategies and implementation.
Channel NewsAsia 5 Nov 15;

SINGAPORE: Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP), which has been in the spotlight recently over alleged links to Indonesian forest fires causing haze, announced on Thursday (Nov 5) that it has deployed fire management teams and firefighters from Working on Fire (WoF) to assist with national firefighting efforts in South Sumatra, Indonesia.

According to APP, WoF has 30 years of experience in wildland firefighting, and supply integrated fire management services to forestry and other land users around the world.

The addition of WoF specialists would mean that APP pulpwood suppliers’ firefighting resources now include more than 2,900 trained fire fighters, fire suppression helicopters, two firefighting air-tankers, satellite monitoring and surveillance drones, APP said.

In a media release, APP said the addition of WoF teams into APP and its pulpwood suppliers' firefighting management teams will improve fire suppression strategies and implementation.

"WoF will also provide tactical air support for APP’s fleet of helicopters and the operation of two Beriev Be-200 firefighting air-tankers. This air-ground coordination will increase the effectiveness of fire suppression efforts," APP said, adding that WoF will deploy firefighters to work directly with the ground crews of APP's pulpwood suppliers.

WoF Asia Pacific Managing Director Leon Conradie said their teams from South Africa and Australia arrived in South Sumatra this week and started looking at the affected regions to review suppression measures taken so far.

"We found extreme rates of spread and long distance spotting, with embers being carried more than 500 meters by strong winds. Conventional suppression tactics do not work in these conditions. Our Incident Command teams and firefighters are trained for these conditions and will apply a combination of proven techniques to contain the spread of fires," he said, adding that WoF is confident of containing the fires on APP suppliers' concessions in days.

APP said as experts have forecasted El Nino to last until May 2016, it is taking preventative steps to ensure its pulpwood suppliers are better prepared next year - such as blocking canals to raise water levels in plantations on peatland.

- CNA/dl