Wildfires Ravage Kalimantan and Sumatra as El Niño Intensifies

Intense wildfires are spreading across the Indonesian islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra, exacerbated by a super El Niño phenomenon that officials describe as the most challenging dry season in a decade. In Kalimantan, the fires have spread near the planned new capital, Nusantara, leading project authorities to request cloud seeding and water bombing operations. One significant blaze at Bukit Suharto forest park, located about 50 kilometers from the city center, has burned approximately 300 hectares. Across six of the hardest hit provinces, fires have reached 73,311 hectares.

The environmental impact is severe, particularly for wildlife. According to an analysis by Geopix using government data from June 1 to August 28, 2026, approximately 60.2 percent of the total Bornean orangutan habitat in Kalimantan was burned. This represents 25,812,699 hectares of habitat affected by 17,865 hotspots. The Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii subspecies was the most severely impacted, with hotspots in its habitat soaring from 1,123 in July to 13,085 in August.

Human health has also been affected, with reports of 50,000 respiratory infections triggered by the blazes. While center left sources emphasize the failure of the Indonesian government to mitigate the disaster and the resulting threat to iconic wildlife, center right coverage focuses on the public health crisis and the role of El Niño in making the fires harder to control.