Semarang, Central Java – Fires have so far razed 200 hectares of forest area during the current dry season in Central Java, a provincial forestry official said.

"The fires have gutted forests inside the national park and those managed by state forestry company Perhutani," said Sri Puryono, the head of the Central Java provincial forestry office. The affected forests include those in Mount Lawu, Sumbing and Guci.

Material losses inflicted by the fires are estimated to reach about Rp 800 million ($90,000). "The value is relatively small, but the real loss concerns the ecology due to the forest damage," he said.

Many of the fires have been found to have been caused by humans, he said. The prolonged drought hitting the area has also triggered fires. Most of the fires occurred in locations which were difficult to reach, he said.

The forestry office and Perhutani will soon deploy a team supported by military and police personnel to extinguish the fires.

Forest fire hot spots have been detected in 10 provinces during the present dry season, which has also triggered a water crisis, especially on Java. The Forestry Ministry's satellite data showed that there were 22,120 hot spots throughout Indonesia from January to September 12, 2011. Last year, there were a total of 9,880 hot spots in Indonesia.