What's happened
Wildfires across Kalimantan and Sumatra have intensified under El Niño-driven drought, pushing smoke into Malaysia and Brunei. Authorities deploy cloud-seeding, water-bombing aircraft, and ground crews as hotspots rise and air quality deteriorates, threatening health and livelihoods.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- This update underscores a widening regional health and economic impact as fires intensify and smoke spreads across borders.
- The response is multi-pronged: weather modification, aerial firefighting, and ground suppression, indicating a high-stakes containment effort amid hot, dry conditions.
- The growing fire footprint raises questions about land-use practices and enforcement, given authorities are investigating arson and land-clearing fires.
- Readers should anticipate continued cross-border air-quality deterioration and potential school closures or health advisories in affected areas.
- Forecast: hotspot activity will likely persist through the month; weather patterns and rainfall will determine easing or persistence of the haze.
How we got here
Fires are driven by an El Niño pattern and a prolonged dry season. Indonesian authorities have stepped up suppression across Kalimantan and Sumatra, deploying cloud-seeding, water-bombing helicopters, and ground teams. The haze has crossed borders, affecting Malaysia and Brunei, with schools and outdoor activities disrupted.
Our analysis
Bloomberg reports rising hotspots and cross-border haze; Independent and AP detail government actions and health impacts across Kalimantan and Sumatra; Al Jazeera and AP describe on-the-ground conditions and firefighting challenges.
Go deeper
- How long will cloud-seeding and water-bombing be sustained?
- What new health advisories are likely in Malaysia and Brunei?
- Which land-use practices are under investigation and how might policy change?
More on these topics
-
Indonesia - Country in Asia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of more than seventeen thousand islands, including Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, and New Guinea. Indonesia i
-
Borneo - Island in Asia
Borneo is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and east of Sumatra.
-
Sarawak - Malaysian state
Sarawak (; Malay: [saˈrawaʔ]) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northe
-
Malaysia - Country in Asia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malaysia.
-
Central Kalimantan - Province of Indonesia
Central Kalimantan is a province of Indonesia. It is one of five provinces in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. It is the largest province in Indonesia by area since 2022, bordered by West Kalimantan to the west, South Kalimantan and East Kaliman
-
West Kalimantan - Province of Indonesia
West Kalimantan (Indonesian: Kalimantan Barat, Jawi: کليمنتن بارت) is a province of Indonesia. It is one of five Indonesian provinces comprising Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Its capital and largest city is Pontianak. It is bordered by East Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan to the east, the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the north, and the Bangka Belitung Islands to the west and the Java Sea to the south. The province has an area of 147,018 km2, and had a population of 4,395,983 at the 2010 Census and 5,414,390 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2025 was 5,766,030 (comprising 2,957,074 males and 2,808,956 females), and was projected to rise to 5,834,955 at mid 2026. Ethnic groups include the Dayak, Malay, Chinese, Javanese, Bugis, and Madurese. The borders of West Kalimantan roughly trace the mountain ranges surrounding the vast watershed of the Kapuas River, which drains most of the province. The province shares land borders with Central Kalimantan to the southeast, East Kalimantan to the east, and the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the north. West Kalimantan is nicknamed "The Province of a Thousand Rivers". The nickname references the geography...
-
Sumatra - Island in Indonesia
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km², not including adjacent islands such as the Mentawai Islands, En
-
El Niño
El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific, including the area off the Pacific coast of South America.
-
Prabowo Subianto - Defense Minister of Indonesia
Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo is an Indonesian politician, businessman and former Army lieutenant General who is the currently-appointed Minister of Defence of the Republic of Indonesia.
-
Brunei - Country in Asia
Brunei, officially the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace, is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia.
-
Singapore - Country in Asia
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Straits of Malacca to the w
-
South Sumatra - Province of Indonesia, on the island of Sumatra
South Sumatra (Indonesian: Sumatera Selatan, Surat Ulu: ꤼꥈꤸꤳꥎꤽꤼꥎꤾꤳꥐ, Jawi: سومترا سلاتن) is a province of Indonesia, located in the southeast of the island of Sumatra. Notwithstanding the name, it is not the most southern of the provinces on Sumatra island (Lampung is to its south). The capital and largest city of the province is the city of Palembang, and the province covers territory historically administered by the Palembang Sultanate. The province borders the provinces of Jambi to the north, Bengkulu to the west and Lampung to the south, as well having a maritime border with the Bangka Belitung Islands to the east. It is the largest province in the island of Sumatra, and it is slightly smaller than Portugal, the department of Boquerón in Paraguay, the Altai Republic in Russia or the U.S. state of Maine. The Bangka Strait in the east separates South Sumatra and the island of Bangka, which is part of the Bangka Belitung Islands province. The province has an area of 86,771.92 km2 (33,503 sq mi) and had a population of 8,467,432 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2025 was 8,837,301 (comprising 4,542,623 males and 4,385,892 females), which was projected to rise to 9...
-
Associated Press - News agency company
The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. Its members are U.S. newspapers and broadcasters.
-
Southeast Asia - Continent
Asia is Earth's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the Eastern and Northern Hemispheres. It shares the continental landmass of Eurasia with the continent of Europe and the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with both Europe and Af
-
IQAir - Company
IQAir is a Swiss air quality technology company, specializing in protection against airborne pollutants, developing air quality monitoring and air cleaning products. IQAir also operates AirVisual, a real-time air quality information platform.
-
South Kalimantan - Province of Indonesia
South Kalimantan is a province of Indonesia. It is the smallest province in Kalimantan, the Indonesian territory of Borneo. The provincial capital is Banjarmasin.
-
Riau - Province of Indonesia
Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located in the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. Until 2004 the province included the offshore Riau Islands, a large group of small islands located east of Sumatra Island and south of Sing
-
Philippines - Country in Asia
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Situated in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of about 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from
-
Jakarta - Capital of Indonesia
Jakarta, officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. On the northwest coast of the world's most-populous island of Java, it is the centre of economy, culture and politics of Indonesia with a population o
-
Kuala Lumpur - Capital of Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and colloquially referred to as KL, is a federal territory and the capital city of Malaysia.