Pekanbaru, Riau (Antarariau.com) - A total of 19 hotspots were detected across Sumatra Island on Thursday morning, indicating possible forest and plantation fires, an official stated.
"This morning, 19 hotspots were detected, which was the same count as reported yesterday afternoon (June 28)," Slamet Riyadi, head of the Pekanbaru meteorological station, said here, Thursday.
The hotspots were found in five provinces, including 10 in Riau, he noted.
Two hotspots were respectively detected in the provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Bengkulu and one hotspot in South Sumatra.
In Riau, of the 10 detected hotspots, four were found in Pelalawan, two each in Indragiri Hulu and Rokan Hilir, and one each in Siak District and Dumai.
Field visits are necessary to check whether the hotspots have developed into fires, he added.
Sumatra is currently transitioning from rainy to dry season.
Edwar Sanger, head of the Riau disaster mitigation office, said Riau, South Sumatra, and West Kalimantan have declared a forest fire emergency status to anticipate wildfires during the dry season, which is expected to peak in August this year.
Other provinces, such as Jambi, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan, are expected to also declare an emergency status.
19 Hotspots Detected on Sumatra Island
