Wildfires Rage Across Indonesia, El Nino Seen as Main Cause
Al Jazeera Staff
Nearly 50,000 firefighters and multiple helicopters are battling wildfires across Indonesia, with the government citing El Nino as a key factor. A major blaze in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park has burned 743 hectares, and peatland fires are raging in Sumatra and Borneo.
Nearly 50,000 firefighters and disaster response personnel, along with dozens of helicopters, have been deployed to contain wildfires across several provinces in Indonesia, amid an unusually prolonged dry season.
Speaking on Monday (August 14), Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Djamari Chaniago, said heightened El Nino conditions had increased the risk of forest and land fires during the peak dry season.
In East Java province, authorities confirmed the largest blaze is raging in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, with around 743 hectares (1,836 acres) of land already burned. The park has been closed to visitors until further notice.
"The closure is an important step to ensure the safety of tourists, staff, and residents in the surrounding area," the park's management said on its Instagram page.
The fire has consumed large areas of dry grassland, vegetation, and protected Edelweiss flowers. Flames have spread to the Penanjakan area, a popular viewpoint where tourists marvel at the majestic volcanic landscape of Mount Bromo, one of Indonesia's most famous attractions. No casualties or evacuations have been reported so far.
In Jambi province, nearly 6,000 firefighters have been mobilized to battle the blazes. Local authorities noted that deep peat layers, limited water sources, difficult terrain, and strong winds have complicated firefighting efforts, despite support from three firefighting helicopters.
El Nino Heightens Wildfire Risk
According to Indonesia's Forestry Ministry, dry weather and strengthening El Nino conditions have increased the risk of wildfires during the peak dry season. The country's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) has warned that the 2026 dry season will be more severe and prolonged than usual, with higher risks of wildfires and drought, partly due to El Nino.
El Nino is a natural climate phenomenon that causes global shifts in winds, air pressure, and rainfall, often leading to drier conditions in India and Southeast Asia. The recent El Nino event made 2023 and 2024 the hottest two years on record globally.
The Forestry Ministry reported that over 107,000 hectares of land have been burned nationwide between January and June this year, double the area burned in all of 2023. The meteorological agency also warned that August and September are forecast to be the most dangerous months for wildfire risk.
Weather modification operations (cloud seeding) are considered one of the most effective ways to assist firefighters in combating wildfires by inducing rain through the dispersal of salt particles into suitable clouds.
However, deploying this measure has been difficult, according to Minister Chaniago, as scientific monitoring "did not detect suitable rain-bearing clouds for weather modification operations."
Due to unfavorable weather for cloud seeding, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni, during his visit to Mount Bromo on Sunday, said the government "relies solely on water-bombing and ground firefighting teams." He urged the public to avoid activities that could spark new fires, including discarding cigarette butts and slash-and-burn farming.
Wildfires have been reported in many of Indonesia's most fire-prone areas, including 48,890 hectares of burning peatlands in Riau, Jambi, and South Sumatra provinces on Sumatra island, as well as Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan on Borneo island. The National Disaster Management Agency said the emergency has forced local authorities to deploy over 48,000 firefighters and disaster response personnel.
