Indonesia forest fires exceed 107,000 hectares amid strong El Nino
Indonesia is facing a significant increase in forest and land fires (karhutla), with over 107,000 hectares burned due to a strong El Nino phenomenon. Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Djamari Chaniago, stated that the El Nino conditions are expected to persist until early October 2026, potentially mirroring the severity of the 2015 crisis.
The government has deployed 43 helicopters and between 10 to 15 fixed-wing aircraft for aerial firefighting. Authorities are also monitoring weather patterns to conduct weather modification operations (OMC) to induce rain, provided sufficient rain clouds are present. Six provinces have been identified as high-risk areas due to their vulnerable peatlands: Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.
In Sumatra, BMKG has detected 1,195 hotspots, with South Sumatra and Riau recording the highest numbers. Meanwhile, BMKG reports that 73.8% of Indonesia has already entered the dry season. Regional weather reports indicate widespread cloudy to clear conditions across various provinces, with specific warnings issued for potential forest fires in Central Java and high wave heights in certain waters.
Entities
BMKG · Djamari Chaniago · El Niño · Gunung Gede · Indonesia · Java · Kemenko Polkam · Maluku · Raja Juli Antoni · Sumatra
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The government plans to use weather modification operations (OMC) to induce rain once rain clouds are detected. www.viva.co.id · news.okezone.com · nasional.sindonews.com
- [DISPUTED] The strong El Nino phenomenon is expected to persist until early October 2026. www.viva.co.id · news.okezone.com · www.inews.id · nasional.sindonews.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The current El Nino strength is predicted to be comparable to the extreme 2015 event. www.antaranews.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Forest and land fires in Indonesia have reached over 107,000 hectares. www.viva.co.id · news.okezone.com · www.inews.id · nasional.sindonews.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Six provinces identified as high-risk for forest fires are Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and Riau. www.viva.co.id · mediaindonesia.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] As of early August 2026, 73.8% of Indonesia's territory has entered the dry season. news.okezone.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A total of 1,195 hotspots were detected across Sumatra, with Riau accounting for 198 of them. esgnow.republika.co.id
- [● 5 SOURCES] The government has deployed approximately 43 helicopters and 10 to 15 fixed-wing aircraft for aerial firefighting operations. www.viva.co.id · news.okezone.com · www.inews.id · nasional.sindonews.com