Environment & Climate

Indonesian police arrest 72 people over forest fires spreading haze across Southeast Asia

Authorities investigate corporate links to illegal land clearing as smoke causes school closures in neighboring Malaysia.

Updated Aug 24, 2026 · 02:15 UTC3 reports

The short version

Indonesian authorities arrested 72 individuals connected to 89 forest and peatland fire cases across Borneo and Sumatra.
The resulting smoke created dense haze across the region, leading to nearly 600 school closures in Malaysia's Sarawak state.
Investigators are reviewing financial records to determine whether agricultural companies financed or ordered the illegal burns.
Firefighting efforts, including water-bombing and cloud-seeding, continue amid dry conditions and smoldering underground peat.

Indonesian police arrested 72 suspects across five provinces in Borneo and four in Sumatra for allegedly starting fires to clear plantation land.[Associated Press · ABC News · PBS NewsHour]
The suspects face potential penalties including hefty fines and prison sentences of up to 15 years.[Associated Press · ABC News · PBS NewsHour]
According to Indonesian officials, at least four companies in West Kalimantan are under investigation, facing potential permit revocations if found responsible.[Associated Press · ABC News · PBS NewsHour]
Indonesia's Environment Ministry reported over 3,700 hot spots on Borneo and more than 1,700 on South Sumatra.[Associated Press · ABC News · PBS NewsHour]
In Malaysia's Sarawak state, degraded air quality prompted authorities to shut nearly 600 schools, affecting approximately 200,000 students.[Associated Press · ABC News · PBS NewsHour]
Emergency operations deployed cloud-seeding along with 52 helicopters across Kalimantan and Sumatra for aerial patrols and water-bombing.[Associated Press · ABC News · PBS NewsHour]

Whether specific corporate entities funded or directed the land-burning operations remains under investigation through financial audits.[Associated Press · ABC News · PBS NewsHour]
The timeline for fully extinguishing the fires is uncertain due to underground embers in peatlands requiring substantial rainfall.[Associated Press · ABC News · PBS NewsHour]