Indonesia forest fires cause haze, flight cancellations, and property damage

Widespread forest and land fires (Karhutla) are causing significant environmental and operational disruptions across several Indonesian regions. In Kalimantan, thick haze has severely impacted air quality, leading to health issues and disrupting aviation at Tjilik Riwut Airport in Palangka Raya, where ten flights were canceled due to low visibility.

In Central Sulawesi, fires in Poso destroyed 15 hectares of plantation land and two homes. Meanwhile, in South Sulawesi, five hectares burned in Parepare, requiring manual firefighting methods due to difficult terrain. In Jambi, authorities deployed water bombing helicopters to combat fires in the Berbak National Park due to limited water access on the ground.

In response to the crisis, Bengkalis Regent Kasmarni has promoted the use of heavy machinery to help local residents clear land without burning, aiming to prevent fires at the source. However, critics in Central Kalimantan argue that government efforts remain too focused on firefighting rather than community-based prevention, noting that the crisis has already claimed the lives of at least three volunteer firefighters.