Indonesia says 46 hectares of forest burning across north, west Sumatra
In North Sumatra's Simalungun Regency, several hotspots were detected on Thursday morning in the districts of Girsang Sipangan Bolon and Pematang Sidamanik, according to its spokesperson Abdul Muhari.
'The Simalungun Disaster Management Agency quickly coordinated with local authorities to contain the blaze, which is believed to have been fuelled by dry weather and strong winds,' he said in a statement.
By Friday, at least 25 hectares of land had been scorched before the fire was brought under control with the help of Indonesia's specialised forest and land fire control unit, Manggala Agni, local fire brigades, and community volunteers.
In West Sumatra, separate fires broke out on Friday evening in Nagari Padang Ganting and Nagari Pagaruyung, Tanah Datar Regency, but were extinguished the same day.
'Approximately 11 hectares of land were affected in Padang Ganting and another 10 hectares in Pagaruyung,' Abdul Muhari said.
With much of Indonesia entering the dry season, BNPB has urged regional governments to remain vigilant against the risk of forest and land fires.
Authorities have been advised to strengthen mitigation measures, including joint patrols and early suppression of fire hotspots, particularly in high-risk areas, Abdul Muhari added. — Bernama
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
Indonesia begins cloud seeding to fight Riau fires as haze drifts into Malaysia
JAKARTA: Indonesia is set to begin cloud seeding operations on Monday in Riau province to combat escalating forest and land fires, which are already causing haze to drift into parts of Malaysia. Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), stated that the operation will last for at least seven days, with potential extensions based on conditions on the ground. "A Cessna aircraft is scheduled to depart from Pondok Cabe Airport in Banten province on Sunday, and cloud seeding operations will be carried out on Monday using sodium chloride (NaCl) to induce rainfall over areas affected by the fires," Muhari said in a statement. Data from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) indicated 1,208 fire hotspots across Sumatra as of Sunday, with 586 located in Riau alone. Local broadcaster Metro TV reported that haze from these fires has already reached parts of Malaysia. To further aid in the effort, BNPB will deploy a Bell 206 helicopter for aerial patrols and has repositioned a Mi-8MSB-T water bombing helicopter from Palembang to Riau. Additionally, a joint ground task force comprising disaster officials, military personnel, police, fire brigades, and volunteers will be mobilised to address the situation.– BERNAMA
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Indonesia begins cloud seeding to tackle Riau haze and worsening forest-land fires
JAKARTA (Bernama): Indonesia will begin cloud seeding operations on Monday to combat worsening forest and land fires in Riau province, officials said. National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Abdul Muhari said the operation would run for at least seven days and could be extended depending on conditions in the field. "A Cessna aircraft is scheduled to depart from Pondok Cabe Airport in Banten province on Sunday, and cloud seeding operations will be carried out on Monday using sodium chloride (NaCl) to induce rainfall over areas affected by the fires,' he said in a statement. Data from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) showed 1,208 fire hotspots across Sumatra as of Sunday, including 586 in Riau, and indicated that the resulting haze had reached parts of Malaysia, local broadcaster Metro TV reported. BNPB has also deployed a Bell 206 helicopter for aerial patrols and repositioned a Mi-8MSB-T water bombing helicopter from Palembang to Riau. A joint ground task force involving disaster officials, the military, police, fire brigades, and volunteers is also being mobilised. - Bernama
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Three dead, three injured and over 300,000 in Philippines hit by Wipha
MANILA, July 20 — Three Filipinos were dead and over 300,000 individuals have been affected by Typhoon Wipha in recent days, Philippine authorities said Sunday, reported Xinhua. As of Sunday morning, three people were reported dead in the Philippines, while three were injured and three others were reported missing, due to the effects of Wipha and the southwest monsoon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in its situational report. The reported casualties are for validation, the NDRRMC added. The NDRRMC said that a total of 120,008 families, or 370,289 individuals, were affected across the country. Wipha exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday. The severe tropical storm has reached typhoon strength before hitting southern China on Sunday. In its Sunday bulletin, the Philippine state weather bureau, PAGASA, said the southwest monsoon will continue to bring rains over several areas around the nation. — Bernama-Xinhua
