Satellites Detect 308 Hotspots on Sumatra Island

Pekanbaru, Riau, July 27 (Antara) - The Terra and Aqua satellites detected 308 hotspots indicating wildfires on Sumatra Island, Sunday, Head of the Pakanbaru meteorology, climatology and geophysics office (BMKG) Sugarin said. Riau is the largest hotspots contributor with 122 hotspots, followed by South Sumatra (59), Jambi (58), North Sumatra (25), West Sumatra (19), Bengkulu (10), Bangka Belitung (nine), Lampung (five), and Riau Islands (one), according to him. In Riau Province, 44 hotspots were found in Pelalawan District, 17 in Bengkalis, 16 in Kampar, 14 in Indragiri Hulu, eight in Indragiri Hilir, seven in Dumai, five in Rokan Hilir, four in Kuantan Singingi, and two in Rokan Hulu. Of the total 122 hotspots in Riau, 71 had the accuracy rate of above 70 percent confirming the emergence of wildfires in the province. More wildfires are very like to occur in Riau as the temperature in Riau reached 34 degrees Celsius, and the humidity was 97 percent. The visibility in Pekanbaru on Sunday at 7 am local time reached only one kilometer, which is the minimal safety limit for flights. Based on the Air Pollution Standard Index monitoring data, the air quality over Pekanbaru City was at moderate level despite haze shrouding the capital of Riau Province.