Four Indonesian provinces, including Riau, declare disaster alerts for forest fires

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja Straits Times 21 Feb 18;

JAKARTA - Four Indonesian provinces - including one that sits at Singapore's doorstep - are officially on disaster alert after a rising number of hot spots were detected within their boundaries.

Riau, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan provinces have declared disaster alert status, said Dr Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman for the country's disaster management agency (BNPB), in a press statement on Wednesday (Feb 21). All four provinces are located around the equator, with Riau being closest to Singapore.

The disaster alert status means that the national government in Jakarta will be able to step in more easily and with less red tape to deal with raging fires, deploy troops and provide logistics and funds, Dr Sutopo said.

"The number of hot spots has continued to increase. In the past week, the most number of hot spots was found in West Kalimantan province. Pontianak is blanketed by haze," Dr Sutopo said.

In the past 24 hours through 7am on Wednesday, there was a total of 78 hot spots across Indonesia, according to the Terra and Aqua satellites, based on a confidence level of between 30 per cent and 79 per cent.

West Kalimantan province recorded the highest number at 23 hot spots, followed by West Java at 14, Central Kalimantan with 12, Riau at nine, Riau Islands and Papua each with four, Central Java three, West Papua, East Java and Maluku each with two, and Banka-Belitung Islands, North Maluku and South Sumatra each with one.

Indonesian provinces located near the equator are now in their first phase of the dry season, which usually runs from early in the year to some time in March. The rainy season then sets in at these provinces in March and lasts till May before another, more intense dry season from June to September.

"Forest and plantation fires usually pick up in the second (June-September) dry season there," Dr Sutopo said.

The authorities are stepping up their efforts to manage forest and plantation fires. There will be more land and air operations, regular patrols and tighter law enforcement, Dr Sutopo said. Public campaigns against slash-and-burn tactics and on public health are also being ramped up, he added.

Indonesia is deploying joint forces from BNPB's provincial branches, the armed forces, forestry agency fire fighters, city fire fighters, and civil security officers, among others, Dr Sutopo added.

BNPB has also kept aircraft ready for cloud seeding and helicopters for water bombing.


Four Indonesian provinces on disaster alert as hot spots rise
But likelihood of haze affecting Singapore assessed to be low: NEA
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja Straits Times 22 Feb 18;

Four Indonesian provinces - including one that sits on Singapore's doorstep - are officially on disaster alert after a rising number of hot spots were detected within their boundaries.

Riau, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan provinces have declared a disaster alert status, Dr Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the country's disaster management agency BNPB, said in a statement yesterday. All four provinces are located around the equator, with Riau being the closest to Singapore.

When contacted, Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) said the dry weather conditions in Sumatra and Kalimantan are "expected to gradually ease, and an increase of shower activities will help to subdue the hot spots in Sumatra and Kalimantan".

The NEA added: "The likelihood of transboundary haze affecting Singapore is currently assessed to be low."

For Indonesia, the disaster alert status means that the national government in Jakarta will be able to step in more easily and with less red tape to deal with raging fires, deploy troops and provide logistics and funds, Dr Sutopo said.

In the 24 hours to 7am yesterday, there were a total of 78 hot spots across the country, according to the Terra and Aqua satellites.

West Kalimantan province recorded the highest number with 23 hot spots, while Central Kalimantan recorded 12, Riau had nine, and South Sumatra had one.

Several other provinces also recorded hot spots, with 14 in West Java, and four each in the Riau Islands and Papua.

Indonesian provinces located near the equator are now in their first phase of the dry season, which usually runs from early in the year to March. The rainy season then sets in for these provinces in March and lasts until May, before another, more intense dry season from June to September.

Indonesia is deploying joint forces from the BNPB's provincial branches, the armed forces, forestry agency fire fighters, city firefighters and civil security officers, among others, said Dr Sutopo.

The BNPB has also kept aircraft ready for cloud seeding and helicopters for water bombing.

The hot spots recorded in Riau province are located in Indragiri Hilir, Bengkalis and Pelalawan, with an area of more than 500ha affected, exposing some residents to choking haze, the Indosiar national television reported, citing Riau disaster management agency head Edwar Sanger.


Singapore unlikely to experience transboundary haze from hot spots detected in 4 Indonesian provinces
Amir Hussain Straits Times 21 Feb 18;

SINGAPORE - The National Environment Agency (NEA) on Wednesday (Feb 21) said the likelihood is low of Singapore being affected by transboundary haze from Indonesia.

This comes as four Indonesian provinces declared disaster alert status, after a rise in the number of hot spots.

NEA said a total of five hot spots were detected in Sumatra and 73 in Kalimantan between last Friday and Tuesday.

"For this week and the next, the prevailing winds over the region are expected to continue to blow from the north-west or north-east," said NEA.

"The dry weather conditions are expected to gradually ease, and an increase of shower activities will help to subdue the hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan," it added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Dr Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman for Indonesia's disaster management agency, said in a press statement that Riau, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan provinces have declared disaster alert status. The provinces are all located around the equator, with Riau being closest to Singapore.

The disaster alert status means that the national government in Jakarta will be able to step in more easily and with less red tape to deal with raging fires, deploy troops and provide logistics and funds.

Indonesian provinces located near the equator are now in their first phase of the dry season, which usually runs from early in the year to some time in March. The rainy season then sets in at these provinces in March and lasts till May before another, more intense dry season from June to September.


Singapore 'unlikely' to be affected by haze in next 2 weeks: NEA
Channel NewsAsia 21 Feb 18;

SINGAPORE: Transboundary haze is "unlikely" to affect Singapore in the next two weeks, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Wednesday (Feb 21), after four Indonesian provinces declared disaster alerts for forest fires.

"The dry weather conditions are expected to gradually ease, and an increase of shower activities will help to subdue the hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan," said NEA on its website.

The agency added that based on satellite images, a total of five hotspots were detected in Sumatra and 73 hotspots in Kalimantan between Feb 16 and Feb 20.

However, for this week and the next, prevailing winds over the region are expected to blow from the northwest or northeast. "The likelihood of transboundary haze affecting Singapore is currently assessed to be low," said NEA.

Source: CNA/am