REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PEKANBARU -- Indonesia's Riau Province, in collaboration with the Environment and Forestry Ministry, will immediately set up a special team to patrol areas prone to fires, in anticipation of the upcoming dry season, an official has said.

The dry season may begin from February this year, the official said.

"The patrol team will comprise representatives of different stake holders who will be fully supported by the Environment and Forestry Ministry," head of the Riau Provincial Forestry affairs office, Fadrizal Labay, said here on Monday.

According to him, the results of the government inventory showed that there are 169 villages in 40 sub-districts of eight district/cities in Riau which are prone to land and forest fires.

The fire-prone land and forests are in the districts of Bengkalis, Rokan Hilir, Kepulauan (Islands) Meranti, Siak, Pelalawan, Indragiri Hulu, Indragiri Hilir and Dumai city.

In the meantime, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicted that drought will hit Riau, especially its coastal area, in the upcoming month of February and will have potential to cause fires.

Thus, patrolling to prevent such fires should be intensified, Labay added.

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