REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PEKANBARU -- The Terra and Aqua satellites detected 25 hotspots indicating wildfires across Sumatra Island on Monday morning. Of the 25 hotspots, 10 were found in Bengklu Province, seven in Riau Province, six in Riau Islands Province, and one hotspot each in the provinces of Jambi and South Sumatra, Sukisno, head of the Pekanbaru meteorology station, noted here, Monday.

In Riau, two hotspots were detected in the Meranti Islands District, and one each in the districts of Indragiri Hulu, Rokan Hulu, Pelalawan, and Kampar as well as in Dumai City.

The number of hotspots in Riau Province since early 2018 has increased significantly owing to which the Riau administration has declared a forest fire emergency status from February 19 to May 31, 2018.

Since January 14, 2018, fires gutted a total of 849.5 hectares of land.

The gutted forest and plantation areas were found in Meranti Islands District, reaching 218 hectares (ha); Siak, 130 ha; Indragiri Hulu, 121.5 ha; Bengkalis, 117 ha; Dumai, 109.25 ha; Pelalawan, 56 ha; Pekanbaru, 31 ha; Rokan Hilir, 26 ha; Indragiri Hilir, 24 ha; Kampar, 15.25 ha; and Rokan Hulu, 1 ha.

Earlier, President Joko Widodo has ordered implementation of the ASIAN Games in Indonesia should not be affected by smoke arising from forest and land fires. The 18th Asian Games will be organized from Aug 18 to Sept 2 at the Bung Karno Sports Arena of Jakarta and Jakabaring Sport City of Palembang in South Sumatra Province.

"This year, we host the ASIAN Games in Jakarta and Palembang. I remind you to not let the smoke from forest and land fires arise during the implementation of the event," Widodo noted during a briefing to participants of the National Coordination Meeting on Forest and Land Fire Control in 2018 at the State Palace in Jakarta on February 6.

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