S'pore could be facing haze due to Sumatran fires - Singapore's Online Community

**Voodoo Vince** · 23-02-2008, 11:40 PM

S'pore could be facing haze due to Sumatran fires
By Salim Osman, Indonesia Correspondent In Jakarta and Tan Dawn Wei

PARTS of Riau province in Sumatra were blanketed with choking smoke from land-clearing fires on Saturday, and officials here warned that the haze could be headed for Singapore.

In some parts of the province, visibility was reduced to just 20m on Saturday. Thousands of face masks were distributed to residents in Dumai and Pekanbaru, the provincial capital.

Riau governor Rusli Zainal said on Saturday that the fires, which started four days ago, were raging furiously in areas near Dumai town and Bengkalis.

'Our fire-fighting teams just can't cope with the kind of equipment they have,' he told the Riau Pos daily.

Raging fires in the village of Pelintung near Dumai town forced villagers on Saturday to flee for safety.

Officials and environmentalists here were agreed that unless the fires were put out soon by human efforts or heavy rain, the haze could spread farther, even to Malaysia and Singapore.

Forestry Ministry spokesman Fauzi Masyhud told The Sunday Times that the fires and the resulting smoke were the result of people taking advantage of the early onset of the dry season to clear their land.

'This is not yet the dry season which usually occurs in July,' he said.

Environmentalist Rully Syumanda of Walhi Indonesia estimated that some 2,000 hectares - almost the size of 2,000 football fields - were up in smoke in Riau province.

He blamed the fires on farmers and plantation owners who go for the easy method of land-clearing by setting fire to vegetation.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2...ry_209729.html

**Shyraiiyann** · 24-02-2008, 12:04 AM

There's this burnt smell in the air yesterday!
i keep goin to the kitchen to check if i forget to turn off the stove. lols

**panter92** · 24-02-2008, 12:06 AM

Not again.. the one two years ago was..

**TotalNV** · 24-02-2008, 12:06 AM

not again.... here goes the PSI report on tv... hehehe...

**Voodoo Vince** · 24-02-2008, 12:07 AM

Here goes my cough and asthma.

princessjess · 24-02-2008, 12:09 AM

oh man..

enough of haze..

every now and then there'll b haze..

haiz..

**panter92** · 24-02-2008, 12:13 AM

Yea...

**gumok** · 24-02-2008, 12:15 AM

I think that indonesia is really burning too much forests...
Look at the global warming now...
Sooner or later, singapore will start to have natural disasters...
But now after those countries around us get it first...

**StompTrooper** · 24-02-2008, 12:47 AM

Everytime, Indonesians burnt their forest, they put the blame on Malaysians.

And everytime, Singaporeans help out by offering money.

Should put a stop to this.

Colossus · 24-02-2008, 12:55 AM

every year always lidat.. friggin inconsiderate

**CaRe** · 24-02-2008, 09:31 AM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by StompTrooper
	Everytime, Indonesians burnt their forest, they put the blame on Malaysians. And everytime, Singaporeans help out by offering money. Should put a stop to this.

But the money is usually donated by the Singapore government.

How to end this cycle of forrest burning?

**Sgblubber** · 24-02-2008, 09:32 AM

is it gonna be as bad as that one , ard 3 yrs ago?

**CaRe** · 24-02-2008, 09:36 AM

Think the worst is in 1997 where I was hospitalized for breathing problems due to haze.

**clement** · 24-02-2008, 09:45 AM

I spotted air was smoky yesterday... think haiz... nt again.

**Sgblubber** · 24-02-2008, 09:48 AM

ytd air smoking already ?
lolz

**lai** · 24-02-2008, 11:14 AM

Will be hazy tis few days for sure .