JAKARTA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's Manggala Agni forest firefighting team is battling a 7.5-hectare forest and land fire in Riau province, a local official said Tuesday.
Ferdian Krisnanto, an official with Manggala Agni in Riau, said the fire had affected peatland covered with reeds, shrubs and oil palm trees in a limited-production forest area.
The firefighting operation also involves military and police personnel, the regional disaster mitigation agency, volunteer groups and local residents, with support from water-bombing helicopters.
Firefighters are working to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading, as underground fires persist and several areas continue to emit smoke under partly cloudy conditions. ■
