A helicopter drops water on a fire in Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra, Indonesia in 2016. (Photo: AFP/VNA)Jakarta (VNA) –The forest fire task force of Indonesia’s Riau province hasdeployed four helicopters to douse the forest fires raging across the southernpart of the province on Sumatra Island.
The helicopters prioritisedconducting water bombings over the districts of Palalawan, Indragiri Hulu, andIndragiri Hilir, where several forest fires were ongoing and triggered hazethat envelope Riau’s capital of Pekanbaru.
Water shortage owing to sources drying up during thecurrent severe dry spell and strong winds was among the several obstacles thathindered optimal firefighting efforts.
Data from the Indonesian Environmental Affairs and Forestry Ministry indicated that over30,000 hectares of forest areas were ravaged by fires since January this year.
The country’s Meteorology, Climatologyand Geophysics (BMKG) Station in Pekanbaru, Riau, on August 24 confirmed that 584 hotspotsrepresenting forest fires were spotted on Sumatra Island.
Of the total, 272 hotspots were found in Riau, overtwo-folds as compared to 112 hotspots spotted a day earlier.
Visibility in Pekanbaru City was curtailed to 1.5 km at 8 a.m. (local time) on August 24 owing to smog emanating fromforest fires in Pelalawan District. Localresidents of Pekanbaru wore face masks while venturing outdoors since thecity’s air quality remained at an unhealthy level.
Wildfiresoccur in Indonesia in every dry season due to traditional burning practices inagriculture. In 2015, the impact of wildfires was far reaching as it was out ofcontrol and acrid haze from the fires engulfing neighbouring countries. –VNA
VNA
