Article: DOE: Hazy spell due to hotspots in Sumatra

Tuesday July 14, 2009

PETALING JAYA: The brief hazy spell experienced by Klang Valley residents yesterday was not caused by local fires but by hotspots from Sumatra, Indonesia.

From about 10am to 1pm, the Klang Valley was enveloped in haze, but the national Air Pollutant Index (API) ranged from good to moderate.

Smoke in the eye: Shah Alam shrouded in haze yesterday afternoon. The haze cleared later in the day, with the Meteorological Department saying that it was caused by hotspots in Sumatra. — K.K. SHAM / The Star

"Our API is averaged over 24 hours. Because the haze only lingered for a very brief period, it (API) was not affected," DOE director-general Datuk Rosnani Ibrahim told The Star. She said the peat fires in Selangor had started more than a week ago and was not the main contributor to the haze.

Although the Fire and Rescue Department confirmed that there were peat fires in Kampung Batu 9, Jalan Kebun, Klang, Pulau Kempas and Bestari Jaya, none was serious enough to be picked up by satellite to be considered a hotspot.

"There are no hotspots in Malaysia. There were 88 hotspots in Sumatra, although it may not be the true representation because of cloud cover (affecting satellite imagery). Usually the situation becomes transboundary when there are 200 to 300 hotspots there.

"Our counterparts in Dumai, Riau, said the API was quite bad there. And there was wind blowing in our direction, that's why we had the brief spell (of haze)."

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 14 July 2009