"Some 100 personnel comprising officers of the Wonosobo Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), the North Kedu Forestry Office, Wonosobo police and military officers, as well as volunteers have combed the area since Monday morning," Agus Wibowo, acting spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), stated here on Monday.
Wildfire razed a protected forest area in Banyumudal Village, Sapuran Sub-district, in the Mount Sumbing area on Sunday afternoon. The fire was later put out. On Monday morning, however, a smoke was spotted again near the area.
Indonesia has been experiencing severe dry season that has triggered forest fires on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Java.
On Java Island, forest fires were recently reported on Mount Ciremai in Kuningan District, West Java Province, and Mount Arujono in Bumiaji Sub-district, Batu, East Java Province.
Last year, prolonged dry season had triggered wildfires in forest areas located on the slopes of several mountains in the provinces of Central, East, and West Java.
Mount Merbabu, Mount Sumbing, Mount Slamet, and Mount Sindoro in Central Java Province; Mount Argopuro and Mount Sadran in East Java Province; Mount Ciremai in West Java Province; and Mount Lawu located in the border of the provinces of Central and East Java were among the mountains hit by wildfires.
In the meantime, the Terra and Aqua satellites detected 192 hotspots indicating forest fires on Sumatra Island on Monday (Aug 12, 2019), a significant spike, from 13 hotspots on Sunday afternoon.
Of the total 192 hotspots, 156 were found in Riau Province, nine in South Sumatra, eight in Jambi, seven in Lampung, four each in North Sumatra and Bangka Belitung, three in Riau Island, and one in West Sumatra, Sanya Gautami, analyst at the Pekanbaru meteorology station, Riau Province, remarked on Monday.
In Riau, the detected hotspots comprised 40 in Pelalawan, 29 in Siak, 21 in Rohan Hilir, 15 in Indragiri Hulu, seven each in Meranti Island and Bengkali, six in Kampar, and two each in Kuantan Singingi and Dumai.
Of the 192 hotspots, 116 were identified as fire spots, with 28 detected in Pelalawan, 22 in Siak, 19 in Indragiri Hilir, and 15 in Rohan Hilir.
Haze lowered visibility in Pekanbaru to 2.5 kilometers on Monday at 10 a.m. local time.
Related news: Forest fire in Mt Sumbing forest spreads to wider area
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Dewanto Samodro, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
