National Police chief Gen. Sutanto ordered regional police chiefs to follow up on an environmental group's report that 106 logging and plantation companies had set forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

"The chief considers the Walhi (Indonesian Forum for the Environment) report serious," National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Bambang Kuncoko said Thursday.

Walhi announced Tuesday the names of logging, industrial timber estate and oil palm plantation firms it said should be prosecuted for fires that destroyed 27 million hectares of forests over the last five years. It also submitted a copy of the report to the police.

The group's investigation found that of the approximately 40,000 "hot spots" detected by satellite each year between 2001 and August of 2006, 81 percent were in areas belonging to the companies.

Hot spots indicate that an area is generating enough heat to trigger satellite sensors, but not all hot spots are fires.

State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar has accused 20 companies of igniting forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

He has said he will release the names of the companies on Friday.

Gen. Sutanto said Walhi's report was credible because it was accompanied by evidence such as satellite photographs and relevant documents.

Kuncoko said even before Walhi filed the report, the police had taken some steps to stop the fires.

"In Riau, the police have named 58 suspects so far and questioned another 58 from seven forestry companies," he said.

In Jambi province, police arrested five people for allegedly starting forest fires that spread haze to neighboring provinces, according to Antara.

Jambi police spokesman Adj. Comr. Yatim Suyatmo said the five were caught while setting fires in Tanjung Jabung.

In Central Kalimantan, up to 200 firefighters battled dozens of blazes, AFP reported Thursday.

Central Kalimantan is one of the provinces worst hit by the recent ground and forest fires. Firefighters there said they had enlisted dozens of police as well as civilian volunteers to help extinguish fires burning across the province.

"There are lots of fires -- we can't put them all out," said Ahmad Yani, one of the firefighting coordinators.

Yani said most of the fires were burning in Pulang Pisau, a district around 90 kilometers south of the provincial capital, Palangkaraya.

More than 600 hot spots were detected in Central Kalimantan on Wednesday, said the forestry ministry.

Yani said fires around Palangkaraya have been largely extinguished, however, ahead of a presidential visit to the region on Thursday.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060901.H08