REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has deployed nine helicopters in several provinces to conduct water bombing as part of its efforts to prevent the spread of forest and bush fires during this dry spell.

"The nine helicopters have been conducting water bombing in the provinces of Riau, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, and Central Kalimantan," Head of BNPB Information Data Center and Public Relations Sutopo Purwo Nugroho stated on Thursday.

He remarked that two of the nine helicopters are deployed in Riau, four in South Sumatra, one in West Kalimantan, and two in Central Kalimantan.

"We are conducting water bombing 50 times a day in areas prone to forest fires in each of the provinces," he revealed.

The helicopters, with a capacity of carrying 500 to four thousand liters of water, are routinely conducting water bombing to prevent the spread of forest and bush fires, which have caused thick smoke. The smoke has disrupted the activities and health of the local residents, he pointed out.

"If the forest and bush fires worsen, we will send two air tractor planes and three more helicopters from companies in Riau," he noted.

Based on the data collected between 2006 and 2014, most of the hotspots in Sumatra were found from mid-June to October, and in Kalimantan from August to October.

Therefore, Sutopo emphasized that all sides must stay alert to prevent forest fires in the hotspots.

Sutopo remarked on Tuesday that the number of hotspots in Kalimantan continued to increase and based on the MODIS satellite's monitoring data on Monday, 630 hotspots were detected in Central Kalimantan, 268 in West Kalimantan, 74 in South Kalimantan, 281 in South Sumatra, 94 in Riau, 53 in Bangka-Belitun, 48 in Jambi, and eight in Lampung.

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