Robert Go, Jakarta – As the number of hotspots in Indonesia rises, Jakarta officials yesterday said that they were unable to do much to stop the fires causing the choking haze in the region.

Their reasons: Lack of funds and personnel, and the public's ignorance about the health, transportation and diplomatic problems fires can cause.

The severe dry conditions are causing fires to run out of control, forcing schools in the affected area to be closed while flights cancelled.

Latest Environmental Ministry data showed that at least 1,049 fire points now exist in West Kalimantan Province. Central Kalimantan is doing worse with 1,430 separate hotspots by Monday night.

Ms Liana Bratasidha, deputy minister for environmental conservation at the Environmental Ministry, said: "We are trying to do our best. But the different agencies involved still lack coordination. Prosecuting offenders remains a difficult task." The government has prosecuted a handful of plantation owners this year, but convictions are difficult to secure and punishments are relatively light – an average of eight-month jail terms and 100 million rupiah fines.

Mr Antung Deddy, assistant deputy minister for land ecosystem at the ministry, said: "People don't understand the fires are bad. When our teams put out fires, they often encounter angry locals who insist... they have to burn to earn a living. We have to remember that land-clearing by fire is a traditional practice. To stop this altogether will take years of education." As local governments scramble to control the blazes, the thickening clouds of haze have sparked outbreaks of respiratory and other ailments for thousands of Indonesians in Kalimantan and Sumatra.

Clinics in parts of Kalimantan, Palembang in South Sumatra and Pekanbaru in Riau, reported that the elderly, children under five years old and people who work outdoors have been seeking treatment due to haze-related ailments.

Dr Oskar Pribadi, head of Pontianak's municipal health services, said: "There is a huge jump in the number of patients. It's not as bad as in 1997 yet, but we could see more people coming down with breathing difficulties or other problems in coming weeks." People living in haze areas have also begun donning face masks and staying indoors to reduce their exposure to the noxious smoke.

Dr Oskar said: "I'm glad the masks are available. At least it will reduce the discomfort ... when the smoke is thickest." Health officials both in the regions and in Jakarta, however, said that the government has limited resources and cannot provide more help.

Loss could hit $16 billion IT is unclear how much damage this year's haze would do.

But experts said that it could approach the US$9-billion loss incurred during 1997's disaster, when thick smoke disrupted business and created health problems for Indonesia and several neighbouring countries.