Fire destroys protected forest

KUTACANE, Aceh: At least 10,000 hectares of protected forest near Leuser National Park in Southeast Aceh has been destroyed by fire.

Southeast Aceh Regent Syahbuddin said here Monday that the fire was caused by a widening of fires burning in nearby forests, which had been set alight by local farmers to clear land for farming.

"Besides, the regency has yet to receive a downpour in the past five months and the drought has damaged thousands of hectares of paddy fields," he said as quoted by Antara.

The national park is known for its rich fauna and flora, including the giant Rafflesia flower.

Syahbuddin also said there was a thick haze hanging over the city due to the forest fires.

If the fires are not put out quickly they could spread to the national park and threatened its ecosystem, he said.

Thousands of local people have been deployed to the site but "we could not put out the fires because we were only using traditional methods", he said. (rms)