Jakarta, July 5 -- As many as 169 hotspots were recorded in South Sumatra, Indonesia in June this year, marking an increase of nearly 57% compared to the previous month, the South Sumatra Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has reported.
The sharp rise has raised concerns over a potentially severe forest and land fire season in one of Indonesia's wildfire-prone regions over the past decade.
Head of Emergency Response for the South Sumatra BPBD, Sudirman, said this rise corresponds with South Sumatra entering the peak of the dry season, which is scheduled to last until August. He noted that the situation can deteriorate rapidly without proactive control measures.
Data from the BPBD shows that the hotspots are concentrated in area...