Why Indonesia Is Fighting Massive Wildfires Right Now
Nearly 50,000 firefighters and disaster workers, backed by dozens of helicopters, are battling wildfires across Indonesia. The fires are spreading during an unusually harsh dry season. Indonesia's disaster agency, known as BNPB, confirmed that authorities deployed over 48,000 personnel to fight the emergency. Indonesia's weather agency, BMKG, says the dry season is so intense because of El Niño — a natural climate pattern that warms Pacific Ocean waters and brings drier weather to Southeast Asia. BMKG expects El Niño to last through early 2027 Reuters.
The damage is extensive. About 48,890 hectares of peatland are on fire across five provinces. Peatland is a type of ground made of partially rotted plants that can catch fire and burn underground for a long time. The five affected provinces are Riau, Jambi, and South Sumatra on Sumatra island, and Central and South Kalimantan on Borneo. Indonesia's forestry ministry said more than 107,000 hectares of land burned nationwide between January and June 2026. That is double the total burned in all of 2023. FireWatch monitoring data found over 96,000 fire hotspots across the country as of July 27 Mongabay.
Indonesian officials are blaming El Niño as the main cause. Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago said El Niño conditions raised the risk of more fires during the peak dry season. BNPB had warned back in July that El Niño and the 2026 dry season would increase the risk of drought, fires, and even a clean water crisis. The agency predicted the fire risk would peak between August and September 2026.
The largest single fire in August 2026 is burning through Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java. About 743 hectares (1,836 acres) have been scorched there. The fire has burned dry grassland, vegetation, and protected Edelweiss flowers, spreading to a viewpoint on Mount Bromo. Park authorities closed the area to visitors, though no injuries or building evacuations have been reported.
In Jambi province on Sumatra, almost 6,000 firefighters are fighting separate blazes. The work is hard because of deep peat soil, limited water, difficult access, and strong winds. Three helicopters are helping from the air. Peatland fires are especially tough to put out because they can burn underground and reignite the surface again and again. Historical records show El Niño has triggered long dry seasons and extreme drought, causing fires to spread widely over peatlands in Kalimantan and Sumatra.
Authorities have also had to rule out one of their main firefighting tools. They sometimes use a technique called cloud-seeding, which involves scattering salt particles into clouds to make them produce rain. Minister Chaniago confirmed that in August 2026, monitoring found no rain-bearing clouds suitable for this. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said authorities are now relying only on water bombing from helicopters and ground firefighting teams.
The broader context here is that several climate factors are stacking up against one of the world's most fire-prone regions. BMKG's forecast that El Niño will last through early 2027 means this may not be a short-term crisis but a prolonged seasonal threat. BNPB's head, Suharyanto, called for stronger coordination to prevent further spread, especially in Central Kalimantan. A forest fire also broke out in Taddakong Village, South Sulawesi, on August 1, showing how widely the fire risk extends Tempo.
What this means for the region goes beyond Indonesia's borders. Peatland fires release huge amounts of carbon dioxide and smoke, which can drift into neighboring Southeast Asian countries and create haze. The 2026 fire season, if it continues at this pace, could strain diplomatic efforts to manage that haze. The fact that cloud-seeding is not possible because there are no suitable clouds also raises questions about whether Indonesia's firefighting tools are enough for extreme El Niño conditions. With the peak months of August and September still underway, the current deployment of nearly 50,000 personnel may yet need to grow.
