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Asian Games: Peatland fire near Jakabaring Sport City put out
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A motorist drives inside the Jakabaring Sport City in Palembang, South Sumatra on Aug. 17, 2018. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
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peatland fire that was spotted around 100 meters from Jakabaring Sport City in Palembang on Tuesday has been put out and did not disrupt any ongoing Asian Games competitions, South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin has said.
“We are still finding out what the cause of the fire was but it has been put out. The dry climate, with its heavy heat, is prone to producing fires,” he said.
Ten fire trucks and a water-bombing chopper were deployed to the scene and firefighters and military and police personnel were on duty to prevent similar incidents from occurring, he said.
“It is 100 percent under control and we are more than ready to prevent this from happening again,” he said.
A few days before Aug. 18, the opening day of the Asian Games, the South Sumatra administration faced challenges in extinguishing peatland fires in several hotspots outside the city. Dozens of potential hot spots were detected prior to the Games but the city administration has managed to keep them wet to prevent other fires from breaking out.
