Indonesia: Satellite detects 63 hotspots on Sumatra Island

Antara 16 Sep 16;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - NASAs satellite detected 63 hotspots on Sumatra Island on Friday, a sharp increase from the 14 found on the previous day.

The hotspots were found in eight of the islands 10 provinces, Sugarin, head of the Pekanbaru meteorology, climatology, and geophysics office, said here, Friday.

Thirty-one hotspots, or 49 percent of the total hotspots, were found in Riau Province, of which nine were believed to be fire spots.

South Sumatra Province had 15 hotspots; North Sumatra, 5; Bengkulu, 3; Jambi, 3; Lampung, 3; West Sumatra, 2; and Bangka Belitung, 1.

In Riau, the hotspots were detected in Pelalawan (7), Rohan Hulu (7), Siak (6), Dumai (4), Kampar (4), Rokan Hilir (2), and Kuantan Singingi (1).

The Riau authorities have extended the emergency status until November 30 to optimize efforts to put out the forest, peatland, and plantation fires.(*)