Pekanbaru, Riau, Feb 27 (Antarariau.com) - The number of hotspots in Sumatra went down to 23 on Saturday morning, from 47 on Friday, an official said.
Of the total, 14 hotspots were found in Riau Province, three in Aceh and six in North Sumatra, Sugarin, head of the Pekanbaru meteorology station, said here, Saturday.
In Riau, Bengkalis District has 13 and Siak has one.
The hotspots in Bengkalis indicated forest and plantation fires, he said.
The meteorology office has intensified coordination with the local disaster mitigation office to prevent the fires from spreading to wider areas, he stated.
Of the provinces 1,880 villages, 164 are prone to forest and plantation fires as a consequence of El Nino that hit parts of the country since last year, the Riau Military Resort Commander (Korem) Brigadier General Nurendi said earlier.
The PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper has not anticipated any hotspot in 20 villages, he said.
Number of Hotspots in Sumatera Down, But Riau Indicated Fires
