REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PALEMBANG -- As many as 1,050 military personnel have put out 1,664 hotspots in the districts of Ogan Komering Ilir, Ogan Ilir, and Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra, since they arrived in the province on September 11.

Chief of the smoke emergency operation task force Colonel Tri Winarno said here on Thursday the number of extinguished hotspots may serve as an indicator of the military personnel's performance during their assignment in South Sumatra.

"Although fires are still happening, the number of extinguished hotspots may suggest that TNI (the Indonesian military) has worked hard, along with other task forces, including those from BNPB (the National Disaster Mitigation Agency), the public and firefighting teams of companies," he said.

Fighting peatland fires is not easy as TNI personnel were encountered with extreme weather including strong winds and dry air, he said.

"It is extremely difficult. After several hotspots were put out new hotspots arose a moment later," he said.

Therefore, the presence of an amphibian plane hired from Russia has had a significant impact on fire fighting efforts, he said.

The plane which has a capacity of carrying 12 thousand liters of water can take water without having to land. To use the plane optimally, it is on standby at the Pangkal Pinang air base which has good visibility, he said.

By Thursday, a total of 653 hotspots are still found in South Sumatra. Compared to other provinces, South Sumatra has the largest number of hotspots.

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