Indonesia wildfires 2026 have become much worse, with almost 95,000 hectares burned in July alone—due to a powerful El Niño that dries out forests and carbon-rich peatlands. Government data reported by Reuters showed that the July upswing brought Indonesia’s total burnt area to around 202,004 hectares from January to July. The Southeast Asia haze is now spreading to beyond Indonesia …

The country is facing a worsening wildfire problem in Kalimantan and Sumatra that make air pollution go up to dangerous levels with thick smoke traveling north to neighbouring Malaysia. Six places in Indonesia were reported with dangerous air quality according to authorities with the Air Pollution Standard Index reading 835 in Pekanbaru. A prolonged dry season coupled with an intensifying …