Indonesia, Aug. 3 -- Residents of East Kalimantan have been urged to exercise caution as the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has predicted a prolonged drought lasting until October.

According to a BMKG analysis released on July 20, several districts-including Paser, Kutai Kartanegara, and parts of Kutai Timur-have officially entered the dry season.

Head of the BMKG's Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman (SAMS) Sepinggan Balikpapan Station, Kukuh Ribudiyanto, noted that hotspots indicating potential wildfires have been detected amid the lack of rainfall.

On July 29, eight hotspots with a high level of confidence were found in Kutai Timur and Berau, while over 100 other hotspots with low and moderate confidence levels were...