NOAA satellite detects three hotspots in North Lampung

Kotabumi, Lampung, July 2 (Antara) - The NOAA Satellite detected three hotspots respectively in the sub-districts of Bungamayang, South Sungkai, and North Kotabumi in North Lampung District, Lampung Province, Awal Budiantoro of the North Lampung forestry and plantation office stated here, Wednesday. The three hotspots were found in sugarcane plantations owned by the local farmers, he noted. The district's forests also have several hotspots, but they are relatively small and can be kept under control, he remarked. The local farmers usually burn fallen leaves after harvesting sugarcane, he added. He reminded the local farmers and plantation managers to not set fires to clear land since it is prohibited by the existing laws. North Lampung has two protected forests: the 2.8 thousand-hectare Tangkit Tebak spread across Bukit Kemuning, Abung Tinggi, Tanjung Raja, and Abung Pekurun sub-districts and the 1.5 thousand-hectare Bukit Punggur protected forest spread across Bukit Kemuning sub-district and Waykanan District. Hundreds of hotspots indicating the presence of wildfires have been reported in some provinces on Sumatra Island, which is currently experiencing a dry spell, with temperatures soaring up to 35 degrees Celsius. Based on the NOAA-18 Satellite monitoring data, a total of 1,470 hotspots were detected across Sumatra Island during the period between January 1 and June 16, 2015. Of the total hotspots, 621 were found in Riau Province. On June 28, 2015, the Terra and Aqua satellites detected 207 hotspots across Sumatra Island, which is regularly hit by forest and plantation fires every year. Of the 207 hotspots, 70 were detected in Riau Province, the Pekanbaru meteorological, climatology, and geophysics station head, Sugarin, stated. In Riau, 24 hotspots were found in Pelalawan district, 18 in Rokan Hilir, nine in Bengkalis, six in Indragiri Hilir, five in Dumai, three in Siak and Indragiri Hulu. And one hotspot each was found in Kuantansingigi, Meranti and Kampar.