Indonesian officials race to contain wildfires as dozens of schools shut
Summary
Indonesia is facing large wildfires that have burned over 100,000 hectares of land. These fires have caused poor air quality, leading to school closures and a large firefighting effort involving nearly 50,000 personnel.Key Facts
- More than 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) have been burned by wildfires in Indonesia.
- Nearly 50,000 firefighters are working to control the fires.
- Dozens of schools remain closed due to unhealthy air caused by the smoke.
- The mayor of Pontianak city on Borneo island ordered schools to close and students to study from home.
- Six provinces are currently prioritized for firefighting: Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.
- El Nino, a climate pattern causing dry weather, is making fires worse by reducing rainfall.
- Authorities are using cloud seeding—a method where chemicals like silver iodide are sprayed into clouds to encourage rain—to help put out the fires.
- Firefighters have mostly controlled a fire in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, which burned about 900 hectares (2,200 acres).
- The area burned so far in 2024 is more than double compared to the same period in 2023.
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