198 hot spots detected in Jambi forests

Antara, 15 August 2006:

198 hot spots detected in Jambi forests

Jambi (ANTARA News) - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) satellite has detected 198 hot spots in Jambi

province, head of the Jambi Forestry Office Gatot Moeryanto told

reporters here Monday.

The 198 hot spots are found in a number of regencies, comprising 59

in Tebo, 43 in Muaro Jambi, 29 in Tanjung Jabung Timur, 16 in

Sarolangun, nine in Tanjung Jabung Barat and five each in Merangin

and Bungo, according to Gatot, who was on the occasion flanked by

secretary of the Forest Fire Control Center Frans Tandipau.

The latest data presented by the NOAA satellite on August 13, 2006

showed the 198 detected hot spots spread out to cover thousands of

hectares of land in the seven regencies.

Most of forest fires in Jambi province in the current dry season are

found on land belonging to the local community as well as several

plantation companies like PT Wira Karya Sakti, PT IFA, PT Sawit Desa

Makmur, PT Bangun Desa Utama, PTPN VI Sungai Bahar, PT Wana Kasita

Nusantara, PT Inyapsin, PT.Indokebun Lestari, PT Bahari Gembira Ria

and PT Huri Hijau Lestari.

Hot spots have also been detected on land cultivated by other

plantation companies in the province such as PT Agung Prakarsa Sawit

Bulian, Tahura Tanjung, PT Sumbertama Nusa Pertiwi, PT Mitra Surya

SS, PT Anugerah Pola Nusa, PT Swarna Dwipa Pianration, PT Dyera Hutan

Lestari, TNB Berkak, PT Dalex Esa Raya, PT Arangan Lestari, PT Era

Mitra Agro Lestari, PT Kaswari Unggul and PT Telentam Bunga Raya.

The NOAA satellite monitored a drastic decrease in the number of hot

spots in Jambi from 78 on August 10, 2006, to only eight on August

11, but soared to 132 on August 12 and grew further to 198 on august

13.