Palembang, Aug. 31 -- Indonesia is maintaining heightened vigilance against forest and land fires despite a decline in satellite-detected hotspots in several regions, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said in Palembang on Monday.

The decline is a positive development but is not a reason to lower vigilance because the risk of forest and land fires remains, Raja said.

Hotspots have fallen in several areas that previously recorded high numbers after joint firefighting efforts, including Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Riau, Jambi, and South Sumatra.

Central Kalimantan recorded as many as 1,116 hotspots over two days before the number fell to about 300 after joint efforts to tackle the fires, while West Kalimantan saw hotspots declin...