Pekanbaru (Antara) – A thick cloud of smog caused by land and forest fire covered Pekanbaru City, Riau Province on Thursday morning, July 25. The mist produced a strong smell.

"Since the early morning when I open the door, the smell is choking. It smells like the smoke of a fire," said Riana Handayani, 36, a citizen of Pekanbaru.

Riana barred her children from going outside of the house to prevent the effect of the haze on health.

Other locals Widiarso, 38, said that Siak Bridge 4 which towers at the end of Jalan Sudirman was out of sight.

"The haze is thick. The road from the RRI office on Jalan Sudirman to Siak Bridge 4 is invisible," said the main, explaining his working route from home.

On Thursday morning, the satellite spotted four hotspots which are considered the early indication of land and forest fires in Riau Province, according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

Two hotspots are seen in Pelalawan Regency, and the other two are located in Siak Regency.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1228407/thick-smog-strong-smell-cloak-pekanbaru