TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Island focus: Dozens of hectares of peatland burned
The rainy season has arrived but land and forest fires continue in Riau, destroying hundreds of hectares of land and forests across the resource-rich province
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
T
he rainy season has arrived but land and forest fires continue in Riau, destroying hundreds of hectares of land and forests across the resource-rich province.
On Friday, dozens of hectares of peatland in Telesung and Tanjung Kedabu villages, Rangsang Timur district, Meranti Islands regency, were razed by fire.
Meranti Islands Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Edy Afrizal said the fires, which burned for four days, not only affected vegetation but also ravaged rubber and coconut plantations.
“The area burned by the fire is estimated to reach 50 hectares,” he said.
Local police are investigating what caused the incident and a joint team from the BPBD, Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police is working to localize the fires.
“It was hard to contain the fires because there was no source of water,” Edy added.
In 2014, fires burned hundreds of hectares of sago plantations belonging to private companies and local people, reportedly causing haze in Riau.
