REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PEKANBARU - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Pekanbaru office said weather monitoring and geothermal Terra and Aqua satelite detected four fires still remained in Riau province on Monday.

"Two of the hotspots are in Siak District, one in Rokan Hulu District and another one in Rokan Hilir District," the BMKG Pekanbaru office analyst Warih Budi Lestari said.

National Disaster Management Agency (BPNB) spokesman Dr Agus Wibowo said the number of hotspots was decreasing each day. Earlier on Sunday, Agus said aerial survey`s results showed dozens of hotspots, but now only four left.

According to him, the declined number of hotspots indicated both water-bombing and weather modification efforts that had been carried out were successful. He added water bombing had been done by using some helicopters during operations on Sunday.

A helicopter flew to Perawang, Tualang Sub-Dsitrict, Siak District at 9:46 to 14:47 pm and done water bombing 25 times. While two other helicopters, according to Agus, operating from 10:30 to 14:46 pm to Tanjung Palas, Dumai, had conducted water bombing 44 times.

"Maximal water bombing had been done and many fires were able to be extinguished," he said adding the TNI and Brimob forces had assured it.

Agus said BNPB will proceed operations to some other locations in the country, especially the island of Borneo, if operations in Sumatra, especially in Riau, were done. "But we are still waiting for orders. Operations could be completed in the next few days. Meanwhile, two helicopters and a special water boombing aircraft leased from Russia is planned to participate in the operations," he said.

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