Indonesia Makes More Efforts to Fight Forest Fires as Hotspots Rise Significantly

Jakarta 11 Dzulhijjah 1437/13 September 2016 (MINA) – Indonesia on Monday deployed two helicopters, one plane and 3,500 soldiers, police and firefighters to combat forest fires as the number of hotspots rose to 351, spokesman of the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) said here on Monday evening.

Some 140 out of the total 351 hotspots were located in West Kalimantan province and the rest was across the nation, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, BNPB spokesman told Xinhua by phone.

The focus of the battle against the agriculture and forest fires was in West Kalimantan province as it was hit hardest, the spokesman added.

Sutopo noted that land clearing for plantation and farming was blamed for the ongoing fires.

The efforts to fight the fires had been hampered by lacking water supply for water bombing and the long distances from water sources, he said.

Besides, the community burned the land again after firefighters put out the fires, Sutopo said.

Last month, thick haze from forest and agriculture fires in Sumatra Island of western Indonesia enveloped neighboring Singapore.(T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)