Rizal Harahap, thejakartapost.com 24 Aug 15;
Riau has once again seen widespread hot spots erupt throughout the province. These hotspots have been almost completely extinguished during the last three days, causing more areas to be blanketed with thick smoke.
Based on data it has collected from the Terra and Aqua satellites, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Pekanbaru, Riau, said 18 hot spots had been detected in five regencies across the province on Monday. Indragiri Hulu had 11 hot spots, followed by Indragiri Hilir, Kuantan Singingi and Pelalawan which all reported two hot spots each. One hot spot was identified on the Meranti Islands.
“Analysis shows that 15 out of the 18 hot spots are fire spots. Ten fire spots are in Indragiri Hulu, followed by Kuantan Singingi and Pelalawan with two fire spots each, and a remaining single fire spot is in Indragiri Hilir,” said Slamet Riyadi, head of data and analysis at the BMKG Pekanbaru.
He said hot spots had grown significantly and spread evenly throughout areas in southern Sumatra. On Sunday morning, the satellites monitored only 18 hot spots in Sumatra, but the number jumped drastically within 24 hours, reaching 217 spots.
“Apart from Riau, Jambi is also detecting hot spots, and with 107 spots, it is the province with the highest number of hot spots in Sumatra. South Sumatra ranks second with 79 hot spots, followed by Bangka Belitung [10] and Lampung [3],” said Slamet.
He said hot spot fluctuations in Riau and in central and southern parts of Sumatra Island were heavily influenced by El Niño. By July, he said, the impact of El Niño had not yet been so clear. However, its influence would continue to increase as time went on. The weather would get hotter and drier so that land and forest fires could easily occur.
“Although it has not yet been too significant, El Niño has made the dry season in southern Riau stretch out for a longer period. Hot spots suspected as land and forest fires have continued to grow in the area,” said Slamet.
“Normally, by the end of August, most of the areas in Riau will have entered the rainy season. However, rainfall has not yet spread evenly this year. Rainfall has not yet spread evenly in the northern Riau areas, such as Dumai, Rokan Hilir and part of Bengkalis. The rain has fallen with only low to moderate intensity,” said Slamet. (edn/ebf)
Local authorities gear up for haze frenzy
Jon Afrizal and Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post 24 Aug 15;
Haze caused by land and forest fires blanketed a number of cities in Sumatra and Kalimantan over the past several days, forcing local authorities to initiate emergency responses such as setting up temporary health posts and shutting down schools in the worst-affected areas.
In Jambi, haze covered the provincial capital of Jambi city, West and East Tanjung Jabung regencies, as well as Muarojambi, causing health problems among the local people.
In response to the situation, East Tanjung Jabung Regent Zumi Zola asked for the deployment of paramedics and the establishment of health posts in Pematang Rahim subdistrict, Mendahara Hulu, one of the worst-affected areas in the regency.
He said schools in the subdistrict had also been temporarily shut down and masks had been distributed to local residents.
“They must not run out of masks. I have told Mendahara Hulu district head to directly coordinate with me if something is needed,” Zumi said.
Separately, West Tanjung Jabung Police’s water police unit chief First Insp. N Hutagalung said that his office had intensified water patrols to ensure the safety of local fishermen.
Meanwhile in Riau, haze was seen blanketing some parts of the province over the weekend although only one fire spot was identified in the province by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency’s (BMKG) Pekanbaru office.
BMKG Pekanbaru head Sugarin said that only one fire spot was detected in Siak Sri Indrapura district, Siak regency, with a reliability level of over 70 percent.
“This means that the fire is likely still happening,” Sugarin said.
Sugarin said the haze that had blanketed several areas, including the provincial capital of Pekanbaru, Pelalawan and Rengat regencies, had likely been brought from outside the region by the wind.
According to the BMKG, the levels of visibility in Pekanbaru, Pelalawan and Rengat on Sunday morning were recorded at distances of 1 kilometer, 2 kilometers and 3 kilometers respectively.
Many regions in Sumatra have been struggling to put out massive land and forest fires that emerged over the past few weeks due to this year’s prolonged dry season, which has been a result of the El Niño weather phenomenon.
Fires on bushes in peatland in some locations on the outskirts of Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, have also been blamed as the source of the haze that has blanketed the province over the past several days.
Pediatrician Ni Made Yuliandri, who also leads the city’s association of pediatricians, said there had been an increase in cases of upper respiratory infections among children as the haze worsened in Palangkaraya.
“Most children are having complaints of flu and cough accompanied by fever,” said Yuliandri.
