(Jakarta, 23rd) In Sumatra, western Indonesia, scorching hot and dry weather has caused forest fires to continue spreading, with more forests and peatlands catching fire and more regions issuing emergency fire alerts.
Spokesman for the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency, Abdul, said on Tuesday (July 22): "The hot and dry weather has increased the risk of fires, especially in Sumatra, where rainfall has dropped significantly in most areas."
National Disaster Management Agency chief Suharyanto said that as of Sunday (20th), forest and peatland fires had broken out in all 12 regencies and cities of central Sumatra's Riau Province, with more than 100 hectares burned in two regencies. Last weekend, Riau Province reported over 140 forest and peatland fire sites. Riau is close to Singapore, separated only by the Straits of Malacca.
Riau Province police said on Tuesday that some areas remain shrouded in thick haze, though the provincial capital of Pekanbaru has not yet experienced suffocating smoke.
According to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, fire hotspots on Sumatra surged from 94 to more than 1,000 in the first ten days of this month, indicating a worrying situation. Authorities warn that if the drought continues, the number of hotspots will increase further.
In West Sumatra Province, the regencies of Solok and Lima Puluh Kota declared a state of emergency on Tuesday due to the sharp rise in hotspots.
Most of the fires in Lima Puluh Kota occurred on slopes with gradients of 70 to 90 degrees, making it difficult for firefighters to access these areas for extinguishing operations.
The situation in North Sumatra Province is also of concern, with seven regencies issuing emergency alerts for drought, forest, and land fires on Monday (21st).
As more fire sites emerge, the scope of intervention by national disaster relief agencies continues to expand. In addition to increasing helicopter patrols and conducting aerial water bombing, disaster management officials are also employing cloud seeding to control the forest fires.
Spokesman for the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency, Abdul, said on Tuesday (July 22): "The hot and dry weather has increased the risk of fires, especially in Sumatra, where rainfall has dropped significantly in most areas."
National Disaster Management Agency chief Suharyanto said that as of Sunday (20th), forest and peatland fires had broken out in all 12 regencies and cities of central Sumatra's Riau Province, with more than 100 hectares burned in two regencies. Last weekend, Riau Province reported over 140 forest and peatland fire sites. Riau is close to Singapore, separated only by the Straits of Malacca.
Riau Province police said on Tuesday that some areas remain shrouded in thick haze, though the provincial capital of Pekanbaru has not yet experienced suffocating smoke.
According to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, fire hotspots on Sumatra surged from 94 to more than 1,000 in the first ten days of this month, indicating a worrying situation. Authorities warn that if the drought continues, the number of hotspots will increase further.
In West Sumatra Province, the regencies of Solok and Lima Puluh Kota declared a state of emergency on Tuesday due to the sharp rise in hotspots.
Most of the fires in Lima Puluh Kota occurred on slopes with gradients of 70 to 90 degrees, making it difficult for firefighters to access these areas for extinguishing operations.
The situation in North Sumatra Province is also of concern, with seven regencies issuing emergency alerts for drought, forest, and land fires on Monday (21st).
As more fire sites emerge, the scope of intervention by national disaster relief agencies continues to expand. In addition to increasing helicopter patrols and conducting aerial water bombing, disaster management officials are also employing cloud seeding to control the forest fires.