213 Hotspots Detected in Riau

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Pekanbaru Station detected 213 hotspots in Riau Province, with the largest number in Bengkalis Regency reaching 91 points. BMKG Pekanbaru Station forecaster Anggun R stated that besides Bengkalis, hotspots were also present in Pelalawan Regency (76), Indragiri Hilir (22), Indragiri Hulu and Dumai City each with 11, as well as Siak and Rokan Hilir each with one point. “This number is based on data updates until Saturday (28/3) at 07:00 WIB,” she said in a statement in Pekanbaru on Saturday (28/3), quoted from Antara. Several hotspots are known to indicate forest and land fires that cause smoke. One of them in Pelalawan has visibility reduced to just 5 kilometres, and in Kampar 6 km. Meanwhile, 350 hotspots were detected on Sumatra Island, with Riau Province having the most. In the Riau Islands there are 52 hotspots, North Sumatra (37), West Sumatra (14), Jambi (11), South Sumatra (7), Bengkulu (6), Bangka Belitung (5), and Aceh (4). The Manggala Agni Team of the Climate Change Control Centre (PPI) and Forest and Land Fires (Dalkarhut) Region of Sumatra is currently working hard to extinguish land and forest fires covering hundreds of hectares and spread across several points in Riau Province. Based on operational data, the most significant fire point is in Teluk Beringin Village, Kuala Kampar Subdistrict, Pelalawan Regency, with an estimated burnt area of 53.3 hectares. Other major fires were observed in the Giam Siak Kecil Wildlife Reserve, Tasik Betung Village, Siak Regency, covering about 22 hectares. Similar conditions occurred in Pulau Muda Village, Teluk Meranti (Pelalawan) with a burnt area of 20 hectares and Talang Jerinjing Village (Indragiri Hulu) covering 15 hectares.