Key facts
- A wildfire on Sumatra island, Indonesia, destroyed nearly 300 homes.
- Hundreds of people have been forced to evacuate.
- The fire was fuelled by El Niño and strong winds.
- The village was built on converted peatland.
- Tens of thousands of respiratory illnesses have been reported locally due to haze.
- Over 60,000 personnel have been deployed to fight the fires.
A wildfire on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, intensified by the El Niño weather phenomenon, has destroyed nearly 300 homes and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate. The blaze began on Saturday and was initially underestimated by villagers who tried to put it out themselves. However, smoldering peatland reignited and strong winds quickly drove the flames toward the settlement, consuming homes primarily constructed of wood.
Local officials reported that approximately 1,000 people have fled the village. Survivors described losing everything, with only the clothes they were wearing. The affected village was reportedly built on converted peatland within a protected area.
Indonesia frequently experiences wildfires during its dry season, but this year's events have been more severe due to El Niño, which is predicted to be one of the strongest in four decades. Experts also cite slash-and-burn land clearance practices as a contributing factor to the landscape's increased susceptibility to fire.
The fires have generated significant local haze, leading to tens of thousands of respiratory illness cases, and have caused air pollution spikes in Singapore and Malaysia. In Borneo, thick smoke has even grounded water-bombing aircraft. In response, President Prabowo Subianto has directed the government to mobilize maximum efforts to combat the blazes, with over 60,000 personnel deployed.