Severe Indonesia Wildfires Burn 1.9 Million Hectares As Toxic Haze Sparks Protests And Health Crisis

Destructive wildfires across Indonesia have scorched over 1.9 million hectares between January and September 2026, sending thick, toxic smoke across Southeast Asia and triggering widespread public protests.

The Crisis

Thousands of Indonesians took to the streets on October 28, criticizing the government's response and President Prabowo Subianto's policies while demanding cleaner air. The annual hotspot count for 2026 has already surpassed every yearly total recorded from 2019 to 2025 with two months still remaining. The fires are driven by deliberate land-clearing practices for agriculture and plantations, especially in flammable drained peatlands.

Health Impact

Natural climate factors have worsened the dry conditions significantly. Indonesia's BMKG reported that a strong El Niño and an Indian Ocean Dipole reduced rainfall, leaving nearly 62% of the Indonesian mainland in a dry season. By September, the burned area reached 38% higher than the same point in 2019 and more than double the figure from 2023. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air estimated that pollution-related deaths reached 5,310 in September, with 3,560 linked directly to fire smoke. Monthly exposure to unhealthy air hit 58 million people, and high PM2.5 levels triggered over 333,470 acute respiratory infection cases across seven provinces.

Regional Action

Neighbourhood countries like Malaysia and Singapore are also suffering from the resulting air pollution. Singapore has started action under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, and the foreign ministers of Indonesia and Singapore discussed forming a joint task force on October 27.

Context

El Niño is a natural climate pattern involving warmer ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that frequently leads to reduced rainfall and severe droughts in parts of Southeast Asia. When combined with peatland drainage and agricultural clearing, these dry conditions create an environment where underground fires spread rapidly and resist standard firefighting efforts.