Smog alert over Sumatra fires

By Jakarta correspondent Richard Galpin

Government officials on the Indonesian island of Sumatra have warned people living in the city of Pekanbaru to remain indoors for as long as possible because of increasing smoke from forest fires.

Pollution from the smoke has already reached danger level and visibility in the city is down to as little as 150 metres.

The outbreak of the fires is causing alarm amongst environmentalists who fear a repeat of the environmental catastrophe of 1997, when several south-east Asian countries were enveloped in a choking smog.

Environmentalists say they fear the fires, which have broken out in both west and east Sumatra, could now spread.

Satellite pictures have shown a rapid increase in the number of hot spots on the island, despite it being the rainy season.

Catastrophic

One Western observer said it would be catastrophic if there wasn't any more rain to douse the fires before the dry season begins in a few weeks time.

The authorities are planning to distribute several thousand face masks to help people already complaining of breathing problems and will begin a campaign to tackle directly some of the smaller fires around the city.

But the more serious fires are deep in the forests, where it is thought plantation owners are clearing land illegally to make way for more than palm, rubber and coconut trees.

Small farmers in the region also use traditional slash and burn methods to clear their land, especially towards the end of the wet season.

The fires are also causing concern in neighbouring Singapore, which was badly affected by the haze of 1997.