Liputan6, a news portal in Indonesia says at least 2,510 fire hotspots were detected through the MODIS Aqua Satellite, SNPP, NOAA20 and the Himawari-8 Satellite from Sept 4 to 7.
The picture that comes out of the Satellite imagery is like a ‘carpet’ or large swatches of both forest and land fire hotspots seen from Indonesia (Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan), Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Timor Leste and Thailand.
On Aug 8, the Indonesian Environmental Affairs and Forestry Ministry recorded 2,070 hotspots in Indonesia alone during the January-July 2019 period, based on monitoring of the Terra and Aqua Modis satellites.
In Riau alone, 6,425 hectares of burning land across Riau was spotted since January 2019. Riau is a province in Indonesia and is located North of Singapore.
“The area of land burned from January 1, 2019 to date is 6,425.39 hectares,” Riau BPBD Chief Edwar Sanger told Merdeka.com on Sunday, September 8, 2019.
https://www.liputan6.com/news/read/4057807/6425-hektare-lahan-t burn-then-riau-from-2012-2019
BMKG Meteorological Deputy Deputy Mulyono R Prabowo said the number of Asean forest and landfill fires from September 4 to 7, 2019, was fluctuating with increasing tendency.
“On September 4, 2019, the BMKG monitored 727 hotspots throughout Asean, then on September 5, 2019 the number of hotspots decreased to 516 points. On September 6, 2019 the total hotspots increased to 619, then on September 7 increased to 648 points, “Mulyono said in a written statement on Sunday (8/9/2019).
Based on the Himawari-8 Satellite observations, the smoke distribution in Indonesia is occurring in Riau Province, Jambi, some parts of South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.
As for trans-boundary haze monitoring, no large quantity of smoke movement was detected from Sumatra to Peninsular Malaysia.
“Unlike some foreign media reported earlier, based on satellite data monitoring and analysis, no smoke has been detected in Sumatra that has crossed into Peninsular Malaysia,” said Mulyono.
But trans-boundary haze from hotspots in neighbouring Kalimantan is already hitting parts of Sarawak prompting the Federal Government to trigger a diplomatic note to Indonesia to take immediate action to put out its fires.
Deputy Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis on Saturday Sept 7, said the note, to be sent as soon as possible, would also urge Indonesia to prevent the fires from recurring.
-/TISG