A commander tasked with preventing the fires said he had issued the order as forest and peatland fires have shrouded several areas in haze, ahead of the Asian Games in Palembang, south Sumatera, from Aug 18 to Sept 2, The Straits Times reported.

Satellites detected 121 hot spots in Riau yesterday, a big jump from the 22 spots detected on Wednesday afternoon.

Antara news agency quoted Brigadier-General Sonny Aprianto, commander of the Riau Land and Forest Fire Task Force, as saying 99% of the land and forest fires in Riau province had been intentionally set off by irresponsible people.

He said he had ordered army personnel to shoot “arsonists” across Riau. Soldiers would be deployed to every military district in Riau to enforce the order.

The army had previously issued similar orders last year in Jambi, central Sumatera, to deter fire culprits.

President Joko Widodo has ordered efforts to combat land fires to be stepped up to ensure the Asian Games are not affected.

Several arsonists have been nabbed, with at least three cases in Dumai city ready for trial, the newspaper said.

The forest fires, accompanied by dry weather, have led to hazy conditions in many parts of West Malaysia.