Forest fires in Indonesia have persisted for over a month and continue to spread across Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Java, and Papua, prompting authorities to deploy thousands of rescue workers and vehicles to contain the blazes.
In Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan province, a resident named Salma told Al Jazeera she has never witnessed a forest fire this severe in her 15 years living there. "I am afraid, worried I will be burned by such a big fire. If the firefighters had not arrived in time, my house would have been destroyed," Salma said.
Volunteer firefighter Anas Dwi Wahyu Kurniawan said the scale of this year's fires is comparable to the 2016 blazes, calling the situation "very serious." He stressed that rescue teams face many difficulties due to a lack of personal protective equipment, portable oxygen tanks, and distant water sources.
On August 27, President Prabowo Subianto said the government had deployed dozens of helicopters, aircraft, water pumps, and thousands of personnel to fight the fires. Indonesia's Health Ministry estimates that 3.4 million people are at risk of respiratory infections and has distributed more than 260,000 masks to residents in the hardest-hit areas.
At the Sungai Durian clinic, Dr. Muhammad Arief Trihapsoro said 50 to 70 patients come in daily with symptoms like coughs, sore throats, and bronchitis. He warned of long-term health impacts from exposure to polluted air, including an elevated risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.
Siti Zahra, a mother of two, said her children have been constantly sick over the past month because of the smoke. "Everything is covered in ash. I have to clean every day, and even after I sweep, more ash blows into the house," she said. Zahra fears the ash could have lasting effects on her children's health and does not dare let them go outside.
Local officials said the fires are spreading rapidly through dry peatland, hampered by water shortages and smoke-reduced visibility. According to firefighter Kurniawan, the situation could persist "unless the weather changes," given the lack of equipment and firefighting water supplies.
