Indonesia Battles Widespread Fires as Haze Spreads Across Southeast Asia

Indonesia intensifies firefighting across six provinces as peat and forest fires spread haze and disrupt schools across the region.

JAKARTA, INDONESIA.— Indonesia has intensified efforts to contain forest and land fires across six priority provinces as smoke spreads across parts of Southeast Asia, threatening air quality, disrupting schools and renewing concern over the region's recurring dry-season haze crisis.

Authorities are deploying extensive aerial resources while firefighters confront peat fires that can burn beneath the surface and prove exceptionally difficult to extinguish.

The emergency extends from major fire zones in Sumatra and Borneo to a wildfire around Mount Bromo, one of Indonesia's best-known tourist destinations.

Firefighters confront blazes across Indonesia

Nearly 48,900 hectares of peatland have burned across six provinces, with West Kalimantan among the areas particularly affected, according to reporting on the crisis.

More than 35 aircraft have been used for water bombing and patrol operations as authorities attempt to prevent fires from expanding.

Indonesia's challenge is complicated by the nature of peat.

Unlike conventional surface fires, peat fires can continue smoldering underground, making them difficult to detect and extinguish completely.

That means apparently controlled areas can remain dangerous and potentially reignite.

Mount Bromo fire adds pressure

Firefighters have also been battling a wildfire in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park on Java.

That blaze has burned about 900 hectares of dry grassland and threatened environmentally sensitive areas, although authorities reported that the fire had been largely contained. Mount Bromo remained closed while crews dealt with remaining hotspots.

The closure illustrates another consequence of Indonesia's wildfire season: damage can extend beyond forests and air quality into tourism and local economies.

Haze crosses borders

Indonesia's fires have long been a regional issue rather than solely a domestic environmental emergency.

Smoke from forest and peat fires can travel across national boundaries, affecting Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia.

The current haze has already contributed to school disruptions, including closures in Pontianak and parts of Malaysia's Sarawak state.

Previous research has documented how Indonesian peat fires can produce significant environmental, health, social and economic consequences across the region.

Why peat fires are especially serious

Peatlands store enormous amounts of carbon accumulated over long periods.

When drained or burned, they can release large quantities of greenhouse gases while producing dense smoke containing fine particulate matter.

The combination makes peat fires both an immediate public-health problem and a longer-term environmental concern.

Indonesia has dealt with severe transboundary haze episodes before, making rapid detection, enforcement against illegal burning and effective land management critical parts of prevention.

What happens next

Authorities' ability to contain remaining hotspots will depend partly on weather conditions and whether fires spread into additional peatland.

Regional governments will also watch air-quality measurements closely as smoke moves across borders.

For Indonesia, the challenge is not simply extinguishing the fires currently visible. Preventing underground peat fires from re-emerging — and reducing the land-use practices that repeatedly create conditions for large haze events — remains the larger task.

By Hannah Clark | Environment and Climate Correspondent | CRN Times

Editorial Supervision: Eleanor Whitfield, Editor-in-Chief | CRN Times