Indonesia’s Wildfires Choke Three Countries as Blazes Intensify

Indonesia intensified aerial and ground firefighting operations on Monday as huge blazes across Borneo and other central and western regions scorched forests and peatland, sending a choking haze across national borders [1]. Fire-tracking service FireWatch had recorded more than 154,000 hotspots nationwide as of August 11, a 60% increase from July, with a strengthening El Niño drying out peatland and disabling cloud-seeding efforts meant to induce rain [2]. Haze from fires in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province has drifted into Malaysia, forcing six schools in Sarawak state to switch to online classes, while Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei brace for a rare “red” haze alert covering August and September [3]. Indonesian police have arrested 72 people suspected of illegally starting fires, and four companies are under investigation for allegedly using fire to clear land cheaply [4].

Why It Sucks:

Malaysian and Singaporean Citizens

• Kids are stuck learning through a screen again. Six schools in Sarawak have already shifted to online classes as smoke from Indonesian peatland fires blankets the region, disrupting in-person education [3].
• Just breathing the air becomes a health risk. A rare “red” haze alert across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei means residents face weeks of hazardous air quality they did nothing to cause [3].
• The smoke crosses borders their own governments can’t control. No amount of local policy can stop haze drifting in from another country’s land-clearing fires, leaving neighboring nations dependent on Jakarta’s enforcement [1, 3].

Indonesian Government and Firefighters

• The fires are outrunning the response. Recorded hotspots jumped 60% since July to more than 154,000, overwhelming aerial and ground crews even as they escalate operations [1, 2].
• Diplomatic pressure piles on during an already brutal fire season. Jakarta faces mounting criticism from Malaysia and Singapore even as it battles a strengthening El Niño that’s drying out peatland and disabling cloud-seeding, a key firefighting tool [2].
• Enforcement means confronting powerful interests. Police have arrested 72 people and opened investigations into four companies suspected of illegal land-clearing fires, a task complicated by the economic weight of the plantation industry [4].

Palm Oil and Plantation Companies

• The cheapest way to clear land is now a legal liability. Four companies are under investigation for allegedly using fire instead of costlier mechanical clearing, a practice long used to prepare land for planting [4].
• A crackdown threatens a decades-old business model. Intensified enforcement and arrests raise the cost of land-clearing practices the plantation sector has relied on for years [1, 4].
• Companies get blamed for a crisis worsened by weather. A strengthening El Niño dried out peatland independent of any company’s actions this year, complicating efforts to pin the scale of the blazes solely on deliberate burning [2].

Sources & Citations:

[1] CP24: Indonesia intensifies aerial firefighting as wildfire haze spreads to Malaysia
[2] Mongabay: Indonesia’s wildfire season surges as haze spreads into Malaysia
[3] Inquirer: Indonesia steps up fire response as haze blankets Singapore
[4] AP via ClickOnDetroit: Indonesia warns against starting open blazes as haze from wildfires spreads to Malaysia