Riau in Sumatra issues emergency alert for wildfires as dry season begins

PEKANBARU, Sumatra (The Jakarta Post/ANN): Riau has declared the emergency alert status for land and forest fires to warn residents of a possible haze crisis as the region enters the dry season.

Three areas in the province, namely Siak regency, Bengkalis regency and Dumai city, had previously imposed the emergency alert to anticipate the expansion of forest and peatland fires that the areas, among other parts of Riau, had been experiencing earlier this year.