Pekanbaru (Antarariau.com) - Forest and bush fires have again begun a new wave of destruction, which comes almost every year in the province of Riau.
Fire broke out first in Air Hitam in the sub-district of Payung Sakti and in a week it spread fast now closing in on this provincial city.
A team of firefighters has been sent over land to that locations but they could not do much as water is not easily available to stop the fire, head of the Pekanbaru Fire Department Burhanudin Gurning said here on Wednesday.
Burhanuddin said the fire was first visible from the city ravaging the bush and peat lands near the city on Tuesday.
"Fire fighters have been sent but the fire engines could not come closer than 100 meters from the location. The fire engines have to be parked in the road and no water around," he said.
The fire fighters said the the fire has destroyed 5 hectares of forests and peat lands.
The Riau Forest Fire Air Task Force has helped by sending a helicopter MI-8 from the National Disaster Control Agency (BNPB) to drop water bombs , he said, adding, "hopefully it would help at least to prevent the fires from spreading the destruction of the environment."
Over the past week forest and bush fires have been detected in various areas including Bengkalis, Rokan Hilir, Dumai, Rokan Hulu, Pelalawan and Pekanbaru.
Riau Governor Arsyadjuliandi Rachman said fire fighters grouped in the Forest Fire Task Force have worked hard day and night.
The Task Force now has two helicopters MI-171 and MI-8 and two units of AT in their disposal for water bombings.
Later BNPB sent two more units of water bombing helicopters Bell 214 to Riau.
Offers have also been received in helicopters from a number of paper manufacturing companies in Riau and a unit of Cassa aircraft used by the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) to modify the weather.
Meanwhile, smokes from bush fires began to blanket wide areas morning and night in West Kalimantan including the provincial city of Pontianak.
"We are worried that what happened last year would repeat itself now. We hope the government would tackle this problem before it is getting worse," a house wive Marni said in Pontianak on Wednesday.
Head of the Regional Disaster Control Agency (BPBD) TTA Nyarong said there were already fires detected in 17 locations in the province.
Fires have been detected in three of 14 district areas in the province, Nyarong said.
Devastating forest and bush fires in Riau and West Kalimantan have always caused problem almost every year with thick black haze not only in the two provinces but also in neighboring countries like Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia.
Forest, Bush Fires Expanding In Pekanbaru
