Indonesia: 769 hot spots in Sumatra still

thejakartapost.com 16 Oct 15;

Forest fires have spread in Sumatra with up to 769 hot spots detected by NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites on the island on Friday.

"The hot spots were detected at 7 a.m. South Sumatra is still the biggest contributor with 537 hot spots, an increase on the previous days 487," said head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Pekanbaru, Sugarin Widayat, on Friday as quoted by tempo.co.

In addition to South Sumatra, other provinces with hot spots include Jambi with 97, Bangka Belitung with 64, Lampung with 38, Bengkulu with seven and North Sumatra with three.

Meanwhile, 22 hot spots have been detected in Riau despite the province having zero a few days ago. Affected areas include Indragiri Hilir, Meranti, Siak and Pelalawan.

Sugarin added that weather conditions in Riau were generally cloudy with a thin blanket of haze, resulting in decreased visibility of 10 meters to 600 meters. The lowest visibility can be found in Rengat, the capital city of Indragiri Hulu regency.

"[Fortunately] there is a chance of light rain in the western and northern parts of Riau. The current maximum temperature is between 31 and 33 degrees Celsius," said Sugarin. (kes)(+++)


Govt deploys 32 aircraft to tackle haze in biggest effort yet
Arientha Primanita & Edna Tarigan, thejakartapost.com 16 Oct 15;

The government is currently conducting its biggest operation yet to tackle the haze emergency, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said on Friday.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho from the BNPB said that the operation involved masses of equipment, aircraft and personnel and was well supported by other countries. "This is the biggest haze emergency operation conducted by the Indonesian government," he told thejakartapost.com on Friday.

A total of 32 helicopters and airplanes have been assigned to extinguishing the fires, six units of which are from Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. The figure includes 21 helicopters, seven fixed-wing water bombers and four planes for making artificial rain.

BNPB chief Willem Rampangilei said on Tuesday that the government had disbursed Rp 500 billion in disaster funds to manage the haze across six provinces over the past two months.

He told Antara news agency that South Sumatra had received the biggest portion of the funds as most hotspots were in that province.

Sutopo said that on Thursday the planes carried out water bombing in six provinces: South Sumatra, Jambi, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan and Riau. The aircraft mainly targeted South Sumatra, which received 334 showers.

Land operations also took place, involving 22,146 joint personnel from the Indonesian Military (TNI), police, local administration officials and volunteers spread across six provinces.

Law enforcement, health services and the latest information was also provided to help mend the impacts of the fires.

"It is not easy to extinguish the massive hotspots, especially in the peatlands that are most likely to reignite after burning under the surface. We’ve also noticed new land fires which make the hotspots go up and down," he said.

Satellite data showed on Friday that of the 769 hotspots in Sumatra, there were:

537 in South Sumatra

97 in Jambi

64 in Bangka Belitung

38 in Lampung

22 in Riau

7 hotspots in Bengkulu

3 in North Sumatra, and

1 in Riau Islands

Of the 159 hotspots in Kalimantan, there were:

134 in Central Kalimantan

19 in West Kalimantan

5 in South Kalimantan, and

1 in East Kalimantan.

Yellow haze also covered Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan on Friday. Based on thejakartapost.com's observation in the field, the yellow smog arrived in the morning and got thicker in the afternoon. Local people said that the yellow haze came from new land fires within and outside Palangkaraya.

All flights to and from Tjilik Riwut airport in Palangkaraya were cancelled on Friday due to the heavy smog. (rin)(++++)


Indonesia launches biggest operation ever to combat fires
Thirty-two planes and helicopters - including six aircraft from Singapore, Malaysia and Australia - were dispatched on Friday (Oct 16) to back up the more than 22,000 personnel on the ground who have been fighting the fires for weeks.
Channel NewsAsia 16 Oct 15;

JAKARTA: Indonesia launched on Friday (Oct 16) its biggest operation ever to combat fires blanketing Southeast Asia in haze, an official said, with dozens of planes and thousands of troops battling the widespread blazes.

Thirty-two planes and helicopters - including six aircraft from Singapore, Malaysia and Australia - were dispatched to back up the more than 22,000 personnel on the ground who have been fighting the fires for weeks.

Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the air teams would conduct water bombing and weather modification efforts across six of the worst-hit provinces in Sumatra and the Indonesian portion of Borneo island.

"This is the biggest haze emergency operation ever carried out by the Indonesian government," the spokesman said.

For weeks, fires illegally started to clear land for plantations have shrouded Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia in acrid smog, worsening air quality, closing schools and forcing the cancellation of outdoor events.

The blazes are an annual occurrence during the dry season, but scientists have warned this year's are on track to be the worst ever as an El Nino weather system has created tinder-dry conditions in Indonesia.

Jakarta earlier this month agreed to accept international help after weeks of failed attempts to douse the blazes infuriated its neighbours.

Japan on Friday joined several other countries contributing to the emergency effort, donating two tonnes of flame retardant to Indonesia.

Nugroho said dry conditions were continuing to hamper efforts, with new fires still popping up. Indonesian satellites as of Friday had detected more than 750 hotspots on Sumatra, mostly in the south of the island.

- AFP/al


Number of detected hotspots in South Sumatra still high
Antara 16 Oct 15;

Palembang, S Sumatra (ANTARA News) - The number of detected hotspots in South Sumatra is still high and is more than any other province in the country.

"According to monitoring data provided by the Terra-Aqua Satellites, 537 hotspots were found in South Sumatra. Meanwhile, 97 hotspots were detected in Jambi, 64 in Bangka Belitung, 38 in Lampung, and only seven in Bengkulu," Indra Purnama, the chief of the Data and Information Department of the Kenten Climatology Station, stated here on Friday.

He explained that the hotspots had spread to five different areas in South Sumatra. In this transition period, from drought to monsoon, several hotspots had not been earlier forecast, but there is a trend that they might increase, he claimed.

"Hotspots that arose in South Sumatra and some neighboring provinces triggered land and forest fires. So, this is far from over for the teams tasked with putting out the fires," he noted.

Chief of Indonesias National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) Willem Rampangilei had earlier stated that an Australian aircraft will be deployed to extinguish fires in the Air Sugihan area, Ogan Komering Ilir District, South Sumatra Province.

"This is being done as the area still has several hotspots," he said after evaluating the efforts to extinguish land and forest fires in Palembang, yesterday (October 15).

Hence, a C-130 Hercules aircraft, with a capacity to carry 15 thousand liters of water, will be used to extinguish fires in the region. By maximizing its use, Rampangilei hoped the smog would soon disappear.

A Malaysian aircraft, with a capacity to carry six thousand liters of water, will be deployed in other areas, such as Cengal, Ogan Komering Ilir District, he noted.

"Besides using aircraft, we are also maximizing the use of a helicopter to extinguish the fires," he affirmed.

The rotary-wing aircraft is also being used to extinguish the remnant fires in Ogan Komering Ilir District, he remarked.

According to Rampangilei, they will also continue to deploy a ground team to put out the fires.

"It is obvious that we will continue with our efforts to extinguish the fires until the smog vanishes," he remarked.(*)


Haze lowers visibility to below 50 meters in Palangka Raya
Antara 16 Oct 15;

Palangka Raya (ANTARA News) - Haze arising from forest and plantation fires in Central Kalimantan Province has drastically reduced visibility to below 50 meters, while the air pollution standard index reached 1889.06 pm.

A total of 1,042 hotspots were recorded in the province in the morning of October 15 and decreased to 45 in the afternoon, Anton of the local meteorology office stated here on Friday.

"Now, on Friday morning, some 59 hotspots were detected," he reported.

Of the 59 hotspots, 19 were detected in Seruyan, nine in Sukamara, eight in Pulang Pisau, five in East Kotawaringin, three in West Kotawaringin, and two in Palangka Raya.

The air quality of Palangka Raya has reached a hazardous level and can impact the health of the public, he pointed out.

Health Minister Nila Djuwita F. Moeloek had earlier noted that the normal air pollution standard index is 0-50 pm, and above 300 pm is considered hazardous to health.

She called on the local inhabitants to stay indoors and wear face masks if they had to engage in outdoor activities.

At least 307,360 people in six Indonesian provinces from June 29 to October 5, 2015, had sought medical treatments for respiratory ailments and other diseases caused by smoke or haze from forest fires originating from Indonesias Sumatra and Kalimantan Islands.

"The number of patients visiting health facilities has increased by 15-20 percent over the last three weeks. The condition will be very worrisome if the smoke problem is not promptly tackled," Health Minister Moeloek informed the press on Oct. 6.

People residing in haze-affected regions have mostly suffered from acute respiratory infections, eye and skin irritations, pneumonia, asthma, and diarrhea.

The health ministrys Health Crisis Mitigation Center has recorded some 45,668 cases of haze-related health problems in Riau, 69,734 in Jambi, some 83,276 in South Sumatra, 43,477 in West Kalimantan, 29,104 in South Kalimantan, and 36,101 in Central Kalimantan.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Worsening haze decreases visibility in North Barito
Thejakartapost.com 15 Oct 15;

The haze blanketing North Barito regency in Central Kalimantan reportedly worsened on Thursday morning with visibility down to only 100 meters.

"The haze got thicker this morning, which resulted in very limited visibility and left us short of breath," said a resident of Muara Teweh district in North Barito, Rahman Hidayat, on Thursday as quoted by Antara news agency.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Muara Teweh's spokesperson Sunardi, the region's horizontal visibility on Thursday morning was only 100 meters and its vertical visibility down to 150 feet. Horizontal visibility was still around 200 meters yesterday.

"The weather is hazy with a yellowish color this morning," said Sunardi.

According to the Manggala Agni Muara Teweh firefighting unit spokesperson Aswaludin, hot spots were no longer detected in North Barito by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 18 and the Terra and Aqua satellites as of Wednesday night.

"The haze probably came from other regions. There are still 15 hot spots in South Barito according to the Terra satellite and two others have been discovered in East Barito," said Aswaludin. (ags/kes)


Timika's airport closed following thick haze
Nethy Dharma Somba, thejakartapost.com 16 Oct 15;

Officials closed Mozes Kilangin airport in Timika for two days following haze coming from the southern part of Papua, officials said on Friday.

John Rettob, transportation and information office chief, said that the visibility in the airport was only 500 meters out of the minimum 1,500 m required by the Transportation Ministry.

"Smog has been seen in Timika since last week but the density kept rising especially over the past two days when the visibility only reached 500 m," he said.

John said that regular flights to Timika of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia and private carriers Sriwijaya Air and Air Fast could not operate in the airport since Thursday.

"Timika is currently closed because no airplanes can come in or out from here," he said.

The haze also disrupted shipping as boats and ships are banned from getting out of Timika port.

John said that the smog is coming from the southern part of Indonesia's eastern most province.

Sem Padamma, chief of the Jayapura branch of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), said that the hot spots are recorded in two districts, 92 hotspots in Merauke district and 12 in Merauke district.

He explained that as the wind blew from south to north, the haze was sent to Timika even though no hot spots were found there.

Based on BMKG data, the hot spots had started since the beginning of September and were not only in the southern part of Papua but in the neighboring West Papua province as well.

"We did not know whether the source of the haze is forest or land fires. We only found hot spots on our radar," Sem said.

Brig. Gen Supartodi, military resort commander of Anim Ti Waninggap, said that local people burned land during the dry season, which caused the hot spots.

"They expected grass to grow in the burned land during the rainy season for a hunting place," he said adding that he had assigned his personnel to cooperate with the locals to extinguish fires if hot spots were found. (rin)


Indonesia, Japan to cooperate to extinguish forest fires
Antara 17 Oct 15;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and Japan have agreed to cooperate in the ongoing fire fighting efforts by delivering a special liquid substance to certain areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan where there are still many hotspots.

The Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, Yasuaki Tanizaki, said here on Friday that the neighboring countries can support Indonesia in handling the forest fires.

The forest and land fires that occurred in several islands, including Sumatra and Kalimantan, have caused haze that has also spread to other neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

"I believe that the ASEAN countries must assist each other. This could be a chance for the ASEAN countries to show their solidarity to mitigate the disaster," Tanizaki said.

The Japanese government has given 100 bottles of a fire extinguisher liquid substance, namely "Miracle Foam a+," to the Indonesian government and it will be delivered gradually to Palembang of South Sumatra from Saturday (Oct 17) to Monday (Oct 19).

Several experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will also be sent by the Japanese government to assist the forest fire extinguishing efforts.

"We hoped the emergency assistance can be utilized by the Indonesian government. I hope it helps in easing the haze disaster," Tanizaki said.

The ambassador hoped that the ASEAN countries can handle the menace of haze disaster together, thereby underscoring the close friendship among the nations in South East Asia.

Additionally, several countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Australia, have assisted Indonesia by deploying air planes that can conduct water bombing in several hotspots in Sumatra Island.(*)


M’sia ready to fight forest fires
NELSON BENJAMIN AND ZAZALI MUSA The Star 17 Oct 15;

JOHOR BARU: Malaysia can send between 1,200 and 1,500 personnel to fight the forest fires in Indonesia, responsible for much of the haze now enveloping parts of the region.

Fire and Rescue Department Datuk Wan Mohd Noor Ibrahim said the team could be assembled in stages within 48 hours.

“Now, it’s up to the governments of Malaysia and Indonesia to decide on this matter.

“So far, nothing has been finalised but my personnel have already been put on alert, similar to what was done during our deployment to Indonesia during the 1997 haze,” he told The Star here yesterday.

The deployment, he added, would include vehicles and equipment.

During the last major forest fire in Indonesia in 1997, some 1,200 Malaysian firefighters were sent there to help douse the flames in a mission that lasted for a month.

Compared with 1997, the department was now more prepared to handle forest fires due to better water pumps and other equipment, Wan Mohd said.

Asked why the department had not deployed helicopters to carry out aerial water bombing operations, he said the fires in Indonesia involved burning peat soil, which was metres deep in the ground and difficult to douse from the air.

“We need firemen on the ground to carry out several methods, including flooding the area with water.

“Since 1997, we have invested heavily in equipment to handle forest fires,” he said, adding that any request for assistance would be handled between the Malaysian and Indonesian governments.

So far, Indonesia has asked for help from several countries, including Malaysia, which has sent a Bombardier CL415MP amphibious aircraft.

State Fire Department assistant director (operations) Mohd Rizal Buang said it was prepared to contribute at least six teams of 160 firemen for the operation.

He said the department would also mobilise six fire engines from Johor, adding that the Malaysian teams were still waiting for the green light from Indonesia.