BNPB urges residents in wildfire areas to wear masks

BNPB has asked residents in areas affected by forest and land fires to wear masks, especially when outdoors, as flames and smoke are still being found in several regions. It also urged people not to do anything that could trigger fires, including burning trash and discarding cigarette butts carelessly. Acting head of BNPB's Center for Data, Information and Disaster Communication, Berton SP Panjaitan, said firefighting and cooling operations are still underway in Sumatra and Kalimantan. In Riau, hotspots and smoke are still being found in peatland areas such as Pelalawan, Bengkalis, Kampar, Indragiri Hulu and Indragiri Hilir. In West Kalimantan, response efforts are continuing in Landak, Mempawah, Ketapang, Bengkayang, Sintang, Sanggau, Kubu Raya, Singkawang and Pontianak. BNPB also identified nine priority areas in South Kalimantan, including Kertak Hanyar, where about 5.5 hectares of peatland have burned.