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Pekanbaru, capital of haze-shrouded Riau, fights fires started intentionally in heart of city
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PEKANBARU (Riau) - Firefighters were battling raging fires at two locations in the capital of Riau province, Pekanbaru, on Friday (Sept 20), just three days after President Joko Widodo visited the province to see for himself fires that the authorities believe were lighted up intentionally to clear land for plantation and other commercial purposes.
Riau, the Indonesian province second closest to Singapore after the Riau Islands province, has shut schools for a week due to acrid haze that has made air quality hover between very unhealthy and hazardous levels.
