Jakarta: Indonesia has intensified both ground and aerial firefighting operations as massive forest and peatland fires continue to burn across several provinces, sending thick haze over cities and into neighbouring countries.

Authorities are battling blazes fuelled by a prolonged dry season and an intensified El Niño weather pattern, which have scorched thousands of hectares of land across Sumatra and Kalimantan.

According to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), fires remain active in several regions, with large-scale suppression efforts underway in West, Central and South Kalimantan on Borneo island, as well as Riau, South Sumatra and Jambi on Sumatra island.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited fire-affected areas in Central Kalimantan and later travelled to Riau province, where more than 11,500 hectares have been burned.

The president pledged continued government support for firefighting efforts, including the deployment of additional water-bombing helicopters and oxygen supplies for firefighters.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation has authorised the use of 35 foreign-registered aircraft to support wildfire response operations, including aerial patrols and water-bombing missions.

Satellite data released by the Environment Ministry showed South Sumatra recorded the highest number of hotspots nationwide, with 1,429, followed by West Kalimantan with 1,226 and Central Kalimantan with 811.

Other hotspot counts included:

East Kalimantan: 576

Riau: 503

West Papua: 468

Jambi: 458

Forestry Ministry data indicated that nearly 94,000 hectares of land burned in July alone.

BNPB said drought conditions, strong winds and extremely dry vegetation have made containment efforts more difficult. Some hotspots remain inaccessible despite the deployment of more than 10,700 firefighters.

To strengthen operations, authorities resumed cloud-seeding activities over Kalimantan on Monday.

The aerial response currently includes:

30 helicopters operating in Kalimantan

22 helicopters deployed across Sumatra

Indonesia experiences seasonal forest and peatland fires almost every year, often caused by land-clearing practices used for agriculture and plantation development.

The resulting haze frequently disrupts land and air transport, threatens public health and affects neighbouring countries.

Malaysia has been among the hardest hit by the latest haze episode. Authorities in the eastern state of Sarawak said nearly 600 schools have been closed, affecting approximately 200,000 students.