REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PEKANBARU -- Forest fires have gutted a total of 1,136 hectares (ha) of forest and plantation areas in Riau Province since January 2019. The figure showed an increase of 150 ha within the last 48 hours, Edwar Sanger, head of the Riau disaster mitigation office, stated here on Tuesday.

Hotspots were detected along the coastal regions of Riau, such as Bengkalis, Dumai, Rokan Hilir, and Indragiri Hilir, he noted. A joint team comprising local firefighters, disaster mitigation personnel, and military and police officers were deployed to extinguish the fires.

Water bombs were also dropped from a Casa 212 aircraft of the Indonesian Air Force to put out the blaze that has produced haze on Rupat Island. Haze smoke reduced visibility to 100 meters and forced schools to halt class activities on Rupat Island.

Nine out of the province's 12 districts and cities were affected by forest fires. Of the total area gutted by fires, 817 ha were in Bengkalis, 132 ha in Rokan Hilir, 60 ha in Dumai, 30 ha in Siak, 38 ha in Indragiri Hilir, 15 ha in Kampar, 20.4 ha in Meranti, and 21.01 ha in Pekanbaru.

Meanwhile, thousands of residents in Riau Province have suffered from respiratory ailments after being exposed to air pollution caused by land and forest fires in the region.

Head of the Riau Health Office Mimi Nazir stated here on Tuesday that Dumai City had recorded the largest number of patients, with 2,199 people suffering from upper respiratory tract infection (ISPA), seven people ailing from pneumonia, 52 people complaining of asthma, 58 people experiencing eye irritation, and 28 people with skin irritation.

In Bengkalis District, the health office has found 247 people suffering from ISPA, 15 asthma patients, four pneumonia patients, 24 people experiencing eye irritation, and 13 with skin irritation. In Rohil District, the authority has found 42 people with ISPA, four with asthma, eight with eye irritation, and 16 with skin irritation.

Nazir said the office has sent a team to Rupat Island in Bengkalis District to help the residents exposed to the haze.

Riau Province has declared an emergency status for land and forest fire since Feb 19 that will last for eight months. Peatland fires continue to occur, especially in the coastal areas of the province.

The Terra and Aqua satellites of the Pekanbaru Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had, at 6 a.m. local time, on Tuesday, detected 23 hotspots that could be an early indication of forest fire in Riau.

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