Emergency crews tackle forest and land fires as dry season begins in Indonesia

Emergency crews tackle forest and land fires as dry season begins in Indonesia

Entering the dry season, forest and land fires reoccur in Riau Province, Indonesia.

Footage filmed on Wednesday (February 26) in Pekanbaru shows emergency crews trying to extinguish burning shrubs with makeshift equipment while waiting for help from firefighters and the Riau Province Regional Disaster Management Agency.

Indonesian farmers often use fire to clear land during the dry season, but they can rage out of control.

Riau has declared the emergency alert status for land and forest fires to warn residents of a possible haze crisis.

Data from the Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Agency says there are five hotspots in Riau.