Pekanbaru, Riau (Antarariau.com)- Haze originating from forest, peatland, and plantation fires engulfed Dumai City, Riau Province, on Thursday.
Visibility decreased to five kilometers, from usually seven to eight kilometers, Slamet Riyadi, head of the data and information section of the Pekanbaru meteorology station, remarked.
The haze was caused by wildfires in Rokan Hilir District that shares its border with Dumai.
The Terra and Aqua satellites detected 22 hotspots in Rokan Hilir on Thursday morning, and 17 of them were confirmed to be fire spots. On the previous day, Rokan Hilir had 123 hotspots, including 92 arising from fires.
Dumai City had three hotspots on Thursday morning, a drastic drop from 20 on the previous day.
The wildfire task force of Riau has continued to conduct water bombing by using helicopters to extinguish the fires, particularly in Rokan Hilir.
In the meantime, the satellites detected a total of 82 hotspots across Sumatra Island, on Thursday morning, a drop from 365 on the previous day.
Riau had 43 hotspots on Thursday morning, compared to 278 on the previous day.
As many as 24 hotspots were found in North Sumatra Province, eight in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, six in West Sumatra, and one in Bangka Belitung.
Of the 43 hotspots in Riau, some 22 were spread across Rokan Hilir; nine in Rokan Hulu; five in Pelalawan; three each in Dumai and Indragiri Hilir; and one in Siak.
Dumai Shrouded By Haze From Wildfires
