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Environment & Climate

Wildfires in Indonesia trigger regional haze as emergency responses expand

Firefighters, rain prayers, and cloud-seeding operations target blazes in Sumatra and Kalimantan amid severe air pollution and cross-border smoke.

Updated Aug 25, 2026 · 05:18 UTC4 reports

The short version

  • Forest and peatland blazes across Indonesia burned nearly 94,000 hectares in July alone, driven by dry conditions and an El Niño climate pattern.
  • Choking haze has spread to neighboring Malaysia and Brunei, forcing hundreds of school closures in Sarawak and spiking respiratory ER visits in West Kalimantan.
  • Indonesian authorities deployed dozens of aircraft for cloud-seeding and water-bombing, while about 3,000 residents in South Sumatra held mass prayers for rain.
  • Law enforcement officials have arrested 72 individuals and placed four companies under investigation for allegedly starting illegal land-clearing fires.

Key facts

  • Forestry Ministry data shows that nearly 94,000 hectares burned across Indonesia in July alone, with South Sumatra recording the highest number of satellite hot spots nationwide.[Associated Press · The Guardian · ABC News]
  • Approximately 3,000 people gathered in Palembang, South Sumatra, to perform salat istisqa, a special Islamic rain prayer, as thick smoke reduced visibility in the city.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Thick smoke crossed international borders into Malaysia and Brunei, resulting in the closure of nearly 600 schools in the Malaysian state of Sarawak.[The Guardian · ABC News]
  • Weekly emergency room visits for respiratory ailments in West Kalimantan increased tenfold to about 5,000 per week since July.[The Guardian]
  • Indonesian police arrested 72 people suspected of setting land-clearing fires, while four corporations face investigation and potential permit revocation.[Associated Press · The Guardian · ABC News]
  • Indonesia deployed 30 aircraft for water-bombing and cloud-seeding over Kalimantan and 22 helicopters over Sumatra to combat the fires.[Associated Press · ABC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The full duration of the fire season remains uncertain, though experts and weather officials expect dry conditions to persist into October before potential rainfall in November.[The Guardian · ABC News]

Sources