TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Eid al-Fitr celebration did not stop forest fires in Riau and West Kalimantan. National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said Terra and Aqua satellites yesterday detected hundreds of hotspots.
"143 hotspots in Riau and 268 hotspots in West Kalimantan," said Sutopo earlier today. Around 46 hotpots spread in Rokan Hilir, 24 hotsports in Bengkalis, 35 in Dumai, 6 in Indragiri Hilir, 3 in Indragiri Hulu, 2 in Kampar, 7 in Kuansing and 10 in Pelalawan.
Visibility in Dumai and Pelalawan are short due to the smoke. According to ground task force’s report, 848 hectares of forests have been burned.
In West Kalimantan, 15 hotspots are spread in Bengkayang, 25 in Kapuas Hulu, 7 in Kayong Utar, 19 in Ketapang, 15 in Kubu Raya, 8 in Landak, 8 in Melawi, 19 in Pontianak, 65 in Sambas, 33 in Sanggau, 5 in Sekadau, 2 in Singkawang and 47 in Sintang.
The BNPB has dispatched MI-8 helicopters from Palangkaraya to Pontianak to carry out water bombing. Security forces were also deployed after Eid prayer to extinguish hotspots.
Around 100 army personnel, 100 from the air force and 500 police officers were deployed in Riau. Hundreds of Manggala Agni and BPBD personnel as well as volunteers also took part in extinguishing the fire. Indragiri Police also used water cannon due to limited water supply.
Even so, Sutopo admitted the BNPB was overwhelmed because the burning conducted by individuals and groups is more intensive and causes more hotspots. "Haze has covered some parts of Dumai and reduced visibility to two kilometers this morning."
LINDA TRIANITA