[REVISION HISTORY]

Indonesian forest fires and haze impact

Updated 16 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-17 05:35 UTC → 2026-09-21 06:48 UTC · added ~~removed~~

By mid-September 2026, the impact of forest and land fires expanded to the Riau Islands province. In Bintan, the local government implemented remote learning via Zoom and home assignments to minimize children’s exposure to outdoor air. Regent Roby Kurniawan stated that the priority is the “health and safety of the community,” calling for close coordination among agencies to monitor the situation. In Karimun, air quality reached unhealthy levels, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Tanjung Balai Karimun recorded at 164 and PM2.5 concentrations at 75.2 micrograms per cubic meter. BMKG officials reported that the haze, which has caused greyish skies and reduced visibility, is moving northwest to north due to prevailing wind patterns. Residents have been advised to limit heavy outdoor physical activity and use high-filtration masks, such as N95 or KN95, when outdoors. Health protection measures have intensified across several regions. In Central Kalimantan, the provincial government is preparing 500,000 masks, including N95, KN95, and KN94 types, for public distribution. The Palangka Raya City Government has also established oxygen rooms in 11 community health centers to assist residents with respiratory issues. Additionally, PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur, in coordination with the Ministry of Environment, has distributed 76,400 masks to affected populations in Sumatra, West Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan. As of September 14, a massive surge in hotspots across Sumatra has exacerbated the crisis. BMKG Pekanbaru reported 5,983 hotspots in the region, with South Sumatra recording the highest concentration at 4,169 points. This has led to significant visibility drops, with North Sumatra seeing visibility between 1 and 5 kilometers, and Riau seeing visibility near three kilometers. Educational disruptions have expanded; in addition to West Sumatra, the Riau Education Office mandated distance learning for high school and vocational students in Pekanbaru from September 16 to 18.

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