Indonesian province declares alert as haze fears grow

JAKARTA: An Indonesian province that suffers annual outbreaks of haze-belching fires said Tuesday it was declaring an early alert to prevent blazes burning out of control after forecasters predicted a dry 2017.

Riau, on the western island of Sumatra, announced the move after a few “hotspots”—areas of extreme heat detected by satellites which often indicate fires—were sighted this month.