JAKARTA — Indonesia has intensified efforts to control forest and land fires across six priority provinces, deploying cloud-seeding aircraft to induce rainfall. The fires burned 107,465 hectares from January through June, a 110 percent increase from the same period in 2023.
The country faces a longer, more severe dry season as El Niño intensifies. Chief Security Minister Djamari Chaniago said authorities are "on alert because the weather conditions really make it possible for these fires to become larger."
Chaniago said El Niño had reached its most intense level in Indonesia. The weather pattern last struck the country in 2023, contributing to that year's fire outbreaks.
The government designated Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra on Sumatra island as priority provinces. On Borneo island, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan are also focus areas. Fires have also struck Java, Papua and Nusa Tenggara.
Indonesia has deployed 43 helicopters and 15 fixed-wing aircraft to combat the blazes. Cloud-seeding operations involve shooting salt flares to stimulate rainfall. Chaniago said the operations are difficult because of a scarcity of rain clouds.
Chaniago said officials "closely monitor even small changes in the weather" to seize opportunities for cloud seeding, with operations carried out immediately "whenever something is likely to produce rain clouds."
The haze has spread beyond Indonesia's borders. In Malaysia's Sarawak state, which shares a border with Indonesia on Borneo island, 11 areas recorded unhealthy air quality levels Tuesday.
Sarawak's education department instructed schools to suspend outdoor activities when temperatures are too high or air quality index readings exceed 100. In Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan, all classes moved online following a decline in air quality.
On Java island, a fire in Mount Bromo National Park in East Java province burned at least 899 hectares. Gatot Soebroto, head of the local disaster mitigation agency, said the blaze is now mostly extinguished.
More than 150 personnel remained deployed Tuesday to put out the remaining fire in Mount Bromo, which covered at least two hectares.
