TEMPO.CO, Pekanbaru - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Pekanbaru detected eight hotspots that indicate forest and land fires in five regencies and cities in Riau.

“Every two hotspots with the confidence level above 50 percent spread in Rokan Hilir, Pelalawan and Indragiri Hulu,” said Head of BMKG Pekanbaru Station, Sukisno, Monday, September 3.

Furthermore, one hotspot was detected in Dumai City and Rokan Hulu Regency. In total, Kusno continued, there were of 29 hotspots that spread on Sumatra Island, this afternoon.

The Terra and Aqua satellite also detected eight hotspots in South Sumatra Province, five hotspots in Lampung, four hotspots in Bangka Belitung, and two hotspots in Bengkulu and North Sumatra.

Sukisno said five of them were confirmed as hotspots or a strong indication of forest and land fires with the confidence level above 70 percent. “Two hotspots were detected in Pelalawan and Rokan Hilir, and one hotspot in Indragiri Hilir,” he said.

The existence of hotspots in Riau Province was the first time in the past week. Previously, hundreds of hotspots had been detected to have spread in Riau Province and burned more than 2,000 hectares of land in the region during the end of July to mid-August.

At that time, the Riau's forest and land fire task force had to continue to extinguish the fires since, at the same time, the 2018 Asian Games was held in Palembang and Jakarta.

ANTARA