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The Indonesian government is striving to stop bush fires in Sumatra and Borneo islands, including strengthening efforts to extinguish the blaze from air and preparing for weather modification, an official said here on Wednesday.
So far, helicopters have flied and dropped millions of litters of water to hundreds of hot spots, but the fires are still on as the burning of bushes persisted, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of national disaster management agency (BNPB).
The agency added 9 more helicopters to support water bombing, and the Air Force was preparing an effort to make artificial rain, said Sutopo.
"BNPB has deployed 9 more helicopters for water bombing to help provincial administrations to stop the fire," he told Xinhua via phone.
"In Palembang (capital of South Sumatra province), Hercules plane belongs to the Air Force is making preparation for weather modification on Oct. 16," said Sutopo.
Based on the pattern of annual data from 2006 to 2013, the peak of bush fires is from September to October, he disclosed.
Indonesia has regularly witnessed bush fires, in part, due to the burning of bushes during the land clearing for expansion or opening new palm oil plantation.
Thick haze from the fires has often spread to neighboring ASEAN countries, delaying or stopping flights and disturbing health that results in a huge economic loss.
