Flames reach edge of orangutan rehabilitation center, with fire season set to intensify
JAKARTA — A wildfire that reached the edge of an orangutan rehabilitation center in western Borneo is highlighting how Indonesia’s intensifying fire season threatens not just forests and wildlife, but also the conservation work taking place within them. The fire stopped just short of the facility run by the nonprofit organization YIARI, where more than […]
Jakarta — A wildfire that approached an orangutan rehabilitation center in western Borneo has underscored the dangers of Indonesia's escalating fire season, not only to forests and wildlife, but also to the conservation efforts nestled within them. The blaze, which concluded just shy of the YIARI-run facility, was home to over 60 critically endangered Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) rescued from illegal wildlife trade and habitat destruction.
The fire ignited on July 22, situated about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) away from the center in Sungai Awan Kiri village, Ketapang district, West Kalimantan province. Thick smoke spread across the region as around 100 individuals from various agencies, including government, military, police, and YIARI, labored for hours to contain the flames before they reached the facility.
Karmele Llano Sánchez, CEO of YIARI, disclosed to Mongabay that the fire had reached the edges of the rehabilitation center's land. She emphasized the critical need for preparedness, stating, "Had we not acted swiftly, portions of our rehabilitation center could have been obliterated by the fire." Satellite imagery captured the inferno that erupted on July 22, 2026, approximately 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from YIARI's orangutan rehabilitation center in Sungai Awan Kiri village, Ketapang district, West Kalimantan province.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
