JAKARTA, Oct 19 — The number of fire hotspots across Indonesia more than quadrupled to 1,104 yesterday, with Kalimantan bearing the brunt as prolonged forest and land fires continued to generate smoke and haze, worsening air quality in several provinces.
The Forestry Ministry said the number of forest and land hotspots rose from 270 on Saturday (October 17), with Central Kalimantan recording the sharpest increase to 495 hotspots, up from 92 the previous day, while West Kalimantan rose to 174 from 22.
The sharp increases followed several days of relatively low hotspot counts in Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan despite continuing firefighting operations.
It added that 61 aircraft remained deployed in both provinces, including 44 for water bombing and 17 for aerial patrols and weather modification operations.
Air quality deteriorated to very unhealthy and hazardous levels across much of Central Kalimantan, while West, South and East Kalimantan recorded unhealthy to very unhealthy conditions.
Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan are among six priority areas for firefighting operations, alongside South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, Jambi, and Riau.
“Joint teams continue to tackle forest and land fires through ground firefighting, water bombing, aerial patrols, as well as prevention and control measures in priority areas,” the ministry said on social media.
South Sumatra recorded 51 hotspots on Sunday, up from nine on Saturday, while South Kalimantan registered 19, compared with two. Jambi recorded nine after recording none the previous day, while Riau remained at zero.
Meanwhile, state news agency ANTARA reported that the Transportation Ministry said haze had affected 2,458 scheduled domestic flights nationwide between August 11 and Saturday (October 17).
Civil Aviation Director General Lukman F Laisa said the disruptions included 1,080 delayed flights, 1,324 cancelled or postponed, 22 diverted to other airports, six forced to return to their departure airports, and 26 rescheduled to depart earlier.
