Forest fires spread across E. Kalimantan<\/p>\n
Rusman, The Jakarta Post\/Samarinda<\/p>\n
Fires from forests and farmland have spread across East
\nKalimantan, causing haze in cities and towns around the province.<\/p>\n
Local officials said on Thursday that farmers had lit the
\nfires, some of which had been detected in conservation areas.<\/p>\n
\"The forest fires were set by residents to clear land. Most
\nburned areas are close to roads, so smoke can clearly been seen,\"
\nsaid Kusnadi, an official with the forest fire control task force
\nat the East Kalimantan forestry office.<\/p>\n
He said that 102 hot spots had been recorded on Aug. 18, 2004,
\na sharp increase from only three hot spots recorded a day earlier
\nby the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) via
\nsatellite.<\/p>\n
Thirty-nine hot spots were detected in Kutai Kertanegara
\nregency, 25 in Berau regency, 20 in East Kutai regency, eight in
\nBulungan, four in Pasir and two in Nunukan and Malinau, while one
\nhot spot was detected in both Samarinda and West Kutai.<\/p>\n
Kusnadi said his office had reported the matter to the East
\nKalimantan governor so he could take measures to avoid conditions
\nworsening.<\/p>\n
\"East Kalimantan could be placed on alert,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Kusnadi said his office had also notified all municipal and
\nregency administrations to take anticipatory measures amid fears
\nthat fires could spread further.<\/p>\n
Haze from forest fires could be seen in Samarinda on Tuesday
\nmorning. However, it did not disrupt flights to or from the city.
\nResidents have not been advised to wear masks.<\/p>\n
Areas affected by fire include land within the Bukit Soeharto
\nconservation forest, which is adjacent to the Balikpapan-
\nSamarinda highway, and part of the Kutai National Park (TNK).<\/p>\n
Malaysian authorities have complained about haze originating
\nfrom fires in Kalimantan, saying they had ordered one million
\nface masks and were taking measures to encourage rainfall in an
\neffort to reduce the effects of the smoke.<\/p>\n
Air quality in Seri Aman district in Sarawak state has been
\nrated \"unhealthy\" because of wildfires in Indonesia's Kalimantan
\nprovince, The Star cited Sarawak deputy chief minister George Tan
\nas saying.<\/p>\n
\"The smoke carried by the wind from Kalimantan is turning in
\nto our direction and is hitting us,\" Tan told the daily. \"One
\nmillion masks are now on standby and ready for distribution
\nthroughout the state.\"<\/p>\n
Tan said the hazy conditions had been aggravated by a lack of
\nrain, adding that his government was preparing to launch cloud
\nseeding operations, in which chemicals are fired into clouds to
\ninduce downpours.<\/p>\n
Environment officials said the overall air quality in Sarawak
\nstate on Borneo and in the rest of Malaysia was moderate although
\nvisibility in some areas was bad.<\/p>",
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