Dry Spell on the Horizon Could Hamper Efforts to Stamp Out Riau Forest Fires
Dry Spell on the Horizon Could Hamper Efforts to Stamp Out Riau Forest Fires
26 January 2009
published by www.thejakartaglobe.com
Indonesia — The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, or BMG, said it expected the number of fires in Riau Province to increase today with less rainfall predicted.
Marzuki, an official with the BMG in the heavily deforested province, said the number of fires observed by satellite had decreased significantly on Monday, down to 12 individual fires from 36 on Sunday.
But smog is just one of the perils confronting those living in the province, where the rate of deforestation driven by rapid growth in the palm oil and timber industries has reached an alarming level.
The visibility is at a safe level now that is seven kilometers visibility, Marzuki said, adding that the hot spots numbered about 400 on Thursday.
He said that in addition to the efforts of firefighters, recent rains had also helped to reduce the number of hot spots.
The Riau provincial forestry office had placed the forest fire alert at maximum levels last week as a haze covered Riau and neighboring North Sumatra Province.
More than seven teams were deployed, each consisting of 45 personnel and seven police officers, to extinguish the fires in six districts.
The haze affected visibility and forced local drivers to reduce speeds. The forest fires, however, had not delayed flights at the provinces main airport, Marzuki said.
Even though it is safer now, the firefighters are always ready to prevent more forest fires, he said.
Separately, Syamsurizal, of the provincial forestry agency, said that the agency would not downgrade alert levels as more forest fires were likely to appear given the BMGs prediction that rains in the province would end today.
We have thousands of hectares of peatland and they can easily catch fire, Syamsurizal said. We will keep watching the forests in districts that frequently experience fire.
Districts plagued by fires include Rokan Hilir, Dumai, Bengkalis, Pelalawan, Siak, Indragiri Hulu and Indragiri Hilir.
Syamsurizal said discarded cigarette butts, burning garbage and hot weather all appeared to play a role in causing the fires.
Thats why we are now deploying more patrols in the forests, he said, adding that local residents should not ignore the fires.
Neighboring countries Singapore and Malaysia have lodged protests with Indonesia over the past four years as smoke from the nations forest fires has caused respiratory problems overseas.
