Key facts
- Indonesia's Borneo and Sumatra islands are experiencing severe wildfires, the worst in over a decade.
- The fires are exacerbated by drought and the El Niño weather pattern.
- An all-women firefighting group called The Power of Mama patrols villages to record hotspots and put out fires.
- Women volunteers advise neighbors against using fire to clear land for palm oil plantations.
- Fires smolder underground in the peat of Borneo, which is highly combustible.
- Indonesia has deployed over 50 aircraft for water bombing and cloud seeding activities.
Wildfires are engulfing parts of Indonesia's Borneo and Sumatra islands, creating a thick, orange haze and causing widespread respiratory problems for millions. This year's fires are described as the worst in over a decade, exacerbated by a prolonged dry season and the El Niño weather pattern. The blazes are particularly challenging to control as they smolder underground in the highly combustible peatlands, which are prone to drying out.
In response, Indonesia has deployed over 50 aircraft for water bombing and cloud seeding operations. The government has warned that the fires may continue until early November due to the late arrival of the rainy season.
From January to July, fires burned approximately 202,000 hectares of land across Indonesia, with West Kalimantan being the most affected province, reporting over 38,000 hectares scorched. The environmental group Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) has organized an all-women firefighting group called The Power of Mama, comprising farmers and stay-at-home mothers. These volunteers patrol villages on motorcycles, record fire hotspots, and educate communities against using the 'slash and burn' method for land clearing, a practice that contributes to the fires.
Volunteers like Elly Marlina and Irma have shared personal accounts of the fires' impact, including their children suffering from respiratory infections and the constant struggle with smoke, even indoors. The silence of birds, once a constant presence, is noted by farmer Juniarni as another sign of the environmental devastation.