Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - Three hot spots were detected in three districts of Riau Province, namely in Rokan Hulu, Kampar and Bengkalis, the chief of the forest fire control unit of Riau, Wan Abu Bakar, said here on Monday.

"The satellite monitoring device has detectes three hot spots in the three districts," Abu Bakar said.

The province`s quick response team (TRC) had been mobilized to put out the fires, according to Abu Bakar, who is concurrently the vice governor of Riau.

"All personnel of TRC always stand by for 24 hours and are ready to help extinguish forest fires," he said.

He reminded all plantation companies in Riau Province not to open forest areas by setting fire to the vegetation especially during July to September 2006 as the country was udnergoinga period of drought.

"At present, we are entering the dry season. It's very dangerous to set fire particularly on Riau`s forests which mostly consist of peat," he said.

Riau is generally prone to forest fires, therefore TRC has intensified its alertness in the current dry season, he said.

A total of 2,975 hectares of forest peat areas in Rokan Hilir district ha have been destroyed by fires this year, he said.

The Pekanbaru Meteorological and Geophysics (BMG) Office recently reported that some 221 hot spots were detected in Sumatra by NOAA satellites. Of the total number of hot spots, almost 60 were located in Riau Province`s Rokan Hilir, Rokan Hulu, Rokan Siak and Pelelawan districts.