The Indonesian government is deploying an additional 1,500 soldiers to the island of Borneo to help extinguish forest fires that have scorched large areas and created thick haze, leaving many regions suffocating.
According to the government, from January to July, fires have destroyed at least 200,000 hectares of land—an area three times the size of Jakarta—due to dry conditions from a strong El Nino weather phenomenon.
Speaking during a visit to the region on Saturday (Sept. 7), President Prabowo Subianto ordered an increased military deployment. Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said about 1,500 soldiers from three battalions of the Indonesian National Armed Forces will be moved from outside Kalimantan—Indonesia's portion of the island of Borneo, which it shares with Brunei and Malaysia.
In addition to ground troops, six helicopters are being sent to bolster water-bombing operations. President Prabowo said the government is closely monitoring the situation and mobilizing resources to prevent the fires from spreading.
“We are taking mitigation measures. What is important is to immediately stop the spread of hotspots,” Prabowo told reporters in Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan province.
The haze from the fires has led local authorities in Borneo—home to vast rainforests and plantations—to advise residents to wear masks and stay indoors. Smoke has also drifted into Malaysian Borneo, with six areas in Sarawak state recording “unhealthy” air quality.
The burned area this year is larger than during previous El Nino seasons in 2019 and 2023, but still not as vast as in 2015, when El Nino was particularly strong. El Nino is a natural climate phenomenon that causes global shifts in winds, air pressure, and rainfall, often leading to drought in Indonesia. Climate change can intensify its effects as warmer oceans and atmosphere add more energy and moisture to extreme weather events.
