787 Forest and Land Fire Hot Spots Detected in Sumatra, South Sumatra is the Highest

Illustration of forest and land fires (ANTARA)

PEKANBARU - A total of 787 hot spots or hotspots for forest and land fires (karhutla) were detected in eight provinces on the island of Sumatra. The largest number of hotspots is in South Sumatra (Sumsel) with 582 hotspots.

Furthermore, 63 hot spots are in Riau, 51 hot spots are in Lampung, Jambi (47), Bangka Belitung (20), West Sumatra (19), Bengkulu (4), and North Sumatra (1). Specifically in Riau, all forest and land fire hotspots were detected spread across nine districts and cities.

"The 64 hotspot points are in nine districts, namely Bengkalis Regency three points, Kampar 11 points, Kuansing one point, Pelalawan 19 points, Rokan Hilir seven points, Siak four points, Indragiri Hulu 11 points, Indragiri Hilir six points, and Pekanbaru one point it's hot," said Forecaster on Duty BMKG SSK II Pekanbaru, Anggun R, Monday, September 18.

Anggun explained the weather forecast for Riau today. From morning to evening, the weather in Pekanbaru City is predicted to be sunny and cloudy. The potential for rain with light to moderate intensity occurs in parts of Rokan Hilir, Rokan Hulu, Bengkalis, Kampar, Siak, Pelalawan, Kuantan Singingi, Indragiri Hulu, Pekanbaru City and Dumai City.

Meanwhile, visibility in the Pekanbaru area and its surroundings is still normal, ranging from 3 kilometers to 6 kilometers. Head of the Sultan Syarif Kasim II Class I Meteorological Station, Pekanbaru, Ramlan explained that this was caused by dew or haze, not smoke haze.

"Indeed, usually (in the morning, ed) it is a bit foggy. This is due to the still high humidity because the sun's light has not yet shone optimally on the surface of the earth. By noon, the hazy weather/fog will lift into the air as maximum sunlight shines on the surface so that the distance "My vision is starting to clear," said Ramlan.

Previously, a total of 1,146.79 hectares of land in Riau had been burned since January 2023. According to data from the Riau Province Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the largest forest and land fires occurred in Bengkalis Regency, reaching almost 378 hectares.

Furthermore, in Rokan Hilir Regency 230 Hectares (Ha), Dumai City 112.87 Ha, Pelalawan Regency 91.2 Ha, Kampar Regency 74.84 Ha, Indragiri Hilir Regency (Inhil) 85.07 Ha, Indragiri Hulu Regency (Inhu) 49 .20 Ha, Siak Regency 41.32 Ha, Pekanbaru City 37.82 Ha, Rokan Hulu (Rohul) 26.40 Ha, Meranti Regency 18.25 Ha, and Kuantan Singingi (Kuansing) Regency 2 Ha.