Key facts
- Wildfires in Indonesia have burned more than 107,000 hectares of land.
- Haze from the fires has spread to neighboring Malaysia, with air quality reaching unhealthy levels.
- Cloud-seeding aircraft have been deployed to combat the fires.
- Schools in affected Indonesian provinces have suspended classes.
- An intense El Nino is contributing to a longer hot and dry season.
Wildfires in Indonesia have scorched over 107,000 hectares of land, with the resulting haze spreading to neighboring Malaysia and impacting air quality. Authorities are deploying cloud-seeding aircraft and focusing firefighting efforts on six key provinces, including those with vulnerable peatlands. Residents in affected areas report thick smoke and fires nearing residential zones, with water scarcity posing a challenge for firefighters. The situation is exacerbated by an intense El Nino, which has prolonged the hot and dry season across Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, the town of Serian in Sarawak recorded an unhealthy air pollution index of 195, with at least nine areas in the state experiencing similar conditions. Schools in some Indonesian provinces have suspended classes for multiple days, with online lessons implemented in cities like Pontianak. A separate fire at Mount Bromo National Park in East Java, which burned approximately 550 hectares, has been extinguished, though new hotspots were warned near the volcano.