On September 21, according to AFP, Indonesian officials confirmed that the government is putting all its forces into extinguishing fierce forest fires but has not yet been able to control the situation.
The smoldering fires that have lasted for weeks on the two islands of Borneo and Sumatra not only cover the domestic atmosphere but also spread toxic smog to neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.
Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said on September 21 that the government has deployed 64 amphibious bombers and 54,000 rescue workers to hotspots since August 2026. However, the vast terrain and the specific nature of deep underground mud fires are causing serious obstacles.
Mr. Daniel Sinyor - representative of the disaster mitigation agency of West Kalimantan province - emphasized that the smoldering layers of smoke at different depths combined with the depletion of fire fighting water sources on the ground have pushed ground firefighters into an extremely difficult situation.
This year's forest fire disaster is more severe due to coinciding with the time when El Nino phenomenon peaked at its strongest peak in 4 decades, combined with the custom of burning forests for swidden farming and climate change.
Under pressure from the disaster that recurs annually, last week, indigenous groups and social organizations in West Kalimantan filed a collective lawsuit in court against government officials for allowing forest fires to occur.
In addition, to cope with the crisis, about 350 members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces were present in West Kalimantan in September 2026 to provide support.
