Indonesia steps up firefighting as haze from peat fires reaches Malaysia

Jakarta,UPDATED: Aug 24, 2026 16:28 IST

Indonesia on Monday stepped up ground and aerial firefighting operations as large blazes in the central and western parts of the country burned thousands of hectares of forests and peatland and sent thick haze across cities and beyond its borders. The smoke has spread into Malaysia and Brunei as authorities battle fires linked to an intensifying El Nino pattern and a prolonged dry season, according to Indonesia's Disaster Management Agency, or BNPB.

The agency said fires were still active in several regions, with major suppression work under way in fire-prone provinces including West, Central and South Kalimantan on Borneo island and Riau, South Sumatra and Jambi on Sumatra island. The fires are part of a wider rise in wildfire activity across Indonesia this year.

After visiting areas hit by forest and peatland fires in Central Kalimantan on Saturday, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto travelled to Riau province on Sumatra island, where more than 11,500 hectares have burned, to urge authorities to bring the haze under control. He said the government would continue supporting firefighting operations, including by sending more water-bombing helicopters and oxygen supplies for firefighters. He also told authorities to “thoroughly document and report the work being carried out by firefighting teams” directly to him.

Indonesia's Transportation Ministry said it had cleared the use of 35 foreign-registered aircraft to support the wildfire response, including water-bombing operations and aerial patrols. The ministry said the aircraft could be moved quickly to disaster-hit areas as conditions changed, while following Indonesian aviation safety rules.

Environment Ministry satellite data on Monday showed South Sumatra had the highest number of hot spots in the country at 1,429, followed by West Kalimantan with 1,226 and Central Kalimantan with 811. East Kalimantan recorded 576 hot spots, ahead of Riau with 503, while West Papua and Jambi recorded 468 and 458 hot spots, respectively. Forestry Ministry data showed that nearly 94,000 hectares burned in July alone.

BNPB said drought, strong winds and dry vegetation had made it harder to contain the fires. Some hot spots remained out of reach for the more than 10,700 ground firefighters deployed as of Sunday, leading local officials to seek more water-bombing support and firefighting vehicles. Cloud-seeding operations resumed over Kalimantan on Monday, with 30 helicopters assigned for water-bombing and aerial patrols there and another 22 helicopters operating over Sumatra.

Forest and peatland fires are a regular dry-season problem in Indonesia and often affect ties with neighbouring countries. Plantation owners and traditional farmers often use fire to clear land for farming, creating hazardous haze that cuts visibility, disrupts road and air transport and threatens public health. In Malaysia, the eastern state of Sarawak has been among the worst affected, with the state government saying nearly 600 schools were shut and about 200,000 students were affected.

Indonesia's firefighting effort is now focused on containing active blazes across key provinces, reducing the spread of haze and reinforcing ground and aerial operations as dry conditions continue.

With PTI Inputs

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