Bosbranden teisteren Sumatra
Forest fires hit Sumatra, Java in Indonesia
Forest fires are flaming in several places in Riau province of Sumatra Island and Central Java province of Java Island over the past few weeks, as this year's dry season hots up, the Jakarta Post daily reported Wednesday. In Riau, forest fire have created haze in the skies over the province.
Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) office head in Pekanbaru, Blucher Doloksaribu, was cited as saying that there were 111 fire spots across Riau on Aug. 1. The figure increased to136 two days later, he added. Thanks to extensive firefighting efforts, however, BMG Pekanbaru detected only 78 hot spots as of Tuesday, said Doloksaribu.
However, fires would continue until mid-August because rainfall was decreasing and temperatures were rising, he said. Temperatures are currently reaching around 34.2 degrees Celsius,which increases the likelihood of forest fires, said Doloksaribu.
Meanwhile, in Central Java, state forest company Perum Perhutani Unit I said it had received at least six reports of forest fires from across the province since mid-July. The total area affected by fires is estimated to have reached more than 200 hectares, excluding that on the slopes of Mount Merapi.
Riau provincial health agency has provided 30,000 masks in anticipation of haze from forest fires which have been razing in the province, Burhanudin Agung, head of the Riau public health and nutrition agency was quoted by Antara news wire as saying.
©Xinhua
Forest fires are flaming in several places in Riau province of Sumatra Island and Central Java province of Java Island over the past few weeks, as this year's dry season hots up, the Jakarta Post daily reported Wednesday. In Riau, forest fire have created haze in the skies over the province.
Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) office head in Pekanbaru, Blucher Doloksaribu, was cited as saying that there were 111 fire spots across Riau on Aug. 1. The figure increased to136 two days later, he added. Thanks to extensive firefighting efforts, however, BMG Pekanbaru detected only 78 hot spots as of Tuesday, said Doloksaribu.
However, fires would continue until mid-August because rainfall was decreasing and temperatures were rising, he said. Temperatures are currently reaching around 34.2 degrees Celsius,which increases the likelihood of forest fires, said Doloksaribu.
Meanwhile, in Central Java, state forest company Perum Perhutani Unit I said it had received at least six reports of forest fires from across the province since mid-July. The total area affected by fires is estimated to have reached more than 200 hectares, excluding that on the slopes of Mount Merapi.
Riau provincial health agency has provided 30,000 masks in anticipation of haze from forest fires which have been razing in the province, Burhanudin Agung, head of the Riau public health and nutrition agency was quoted by Antara news wire as saying.
©Xinhua
