Fifty-eight hotspots detected in Sumatra forests

Antara 15 Sep 10;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - As many as 58 fire hotspots have formed in Sumatra forests as detected by the NOAA satellite, chief analyst at Pekanbaru`s Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Marzuki, said here Wednesday.

"There are at least 58 fire hotspots in Sumatra now. Most of them are located in South Sumatra and Jambi provinces, namely 20 in each of them, and eight in Jambi province," Marzuki said.

Five of the fire hotspots appeared in Rokan Hilir, one in Bengkalis and two in Pelalawan, he said.

"The fire hotspots have formed due to the hot weather, with the temperature reaching 34.3 degrees Celsius in Riau," he added.

Marzuki predicted more fire hotspots would form in the days ahead due to the low precipitation. In Riau there was still some rainfall but when and where it would hapen was hard to predict.

There was more rainfall in Western Riaum, namely in the Kampar, Rokan Hulu and Kuantan Singingi regions, he said, adding that travelers from West Sumatra should stay alert because the rains could cause landslides in those regions any time.

"There are some cliff-side roads that are prone to landslides, especially at the border between Riau and West Sumatra," he said.