Hotspots detected in 15 sub districts in Kotawaringin Timur
Antara 18 Aug 11;
Sampit, Central Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - Hotspots have been detected in 15 sub districts, Kotawaringin Timur District, Central Kalimantan, from August 1 to 17, 2011.
Based on the monitoring of Terra an AQUA Satellites, there were 165 hotspots spread in the 15 sub districts during that period, according to Ian Septiawan of the Kotawaringin Timur Nature Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) here on Thursday.
Most of the hotspots came from forest and land fires and produced haze covering Sampit city.
The fires were difficult to extinguish because the locations wer far from roads and difficult to reach, he said.
He predicted the number of hotspots in Kotawaringin Timur to increase significantly if rains did not fall or the government did not deal with the fires seriously.
Septiawan earlier had urged local farmers not open new farm land by burning bushes because the practice could get out of control and cause forest fires.
He also asked oilpalm plantation managers to remain alert toward possible forest fires which could spread to human resettlement.
Johan Wahyudi, the head of the Kotawaringin Timur national unity, political, and public protection office, said his office and the Sampit Red Cross (PMI) would distribute face masks to pedestrians and motorists to prevent them from having respiratory problems due to haze.
"There are 9,000 face masks that we will distribute free of charge to the public," he said.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) will use cloud-seeding to put out forest fires in four provinces, according to a minister.
"Now the National Agency of Disaster Mitigation (BNPB) is working to tackle hotspots by using cloud-seeding," Environmental Affairs Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said in Jakarta recently after opening a coordinating meeting on "Towards Green Indonesia".
(Uu.F001/HAJM/A014)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Forest fire reported in West Lampung
Antara 19 Aug 11;
Liwa, Lampung (ANTARA News) - A forest fire destroyed vegetation on a hill bordering on a protected forest in Pekon Bakhu sub district, West Lampung District, Lampung Province, Sumatra, on Thursday.
"It`s very hard for us to extinguish the fire due to the difficult terrain. We don`t get help, the forest will be gutted by the fire which is now spreading and still burning freely," Head of the West Lampung Disaster Management Office Mulyono said here on Thursday.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 18 Satellite had detected at least 36 new hotspots on Sumatra Island on Thursday.
The head of Riau`s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Yudhistira Mawaddah said in Dumai, Riau, on Thursday that of the 36 new hotspots, 13 were detected in Riau Province.
There rest were in South Sumatra Province (11 hotspots), Jambi (eight), North Sumatra (two), Lampung (one), and Aceh (one), he said.
Meanwhile, forest fires were reported in Jembrana District, Bali Province, on Wednesday (Aug 17).
Head of the Penginuman Forestry Police Resort Agus Sugianto said the fires gutted a half-hectare area near Tower 89 State Power Utility (PLN) and three hectares in the north area.
The forestry police personnel and staff of the West Bali National Park finally managed to extinguish the forest fires.
He suspected that the fires were triggered by cigarette butt thrown carelessly.
In West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), a fire razed Mt Sasak forest at Kuripan village on August 5, 2011. The fire believed to have triggered by drought, was put out four hours later. (*)
Editor: B Kunto Wibisono
