Indonesia intensifies aerial firefighting as forest fires scorch multiple provinces

Indonesia on Monday heightened both ground and aerial firefighting efforts to combat massive forest fires across several provinces. The blazes, fueled by an intense El Nino pattern and a prolonged dry season, have scorched thousands of hectares of forests and peatland, producing a thick haze that has seeped into neighboring Malaysia and Brunei.

Indonesian authorities have been battling the fires, which remain active in multiple regions, including West, Central and South Kalimantan on Borneo island, as well as Riau, South Sumatra and Jambi on Sumatra island. President Prabowo Subianto visited the affected Riau province on Sumatra island to urge authorities to control the haze.

The Transportation Ministry authorized the use of 35 foreign-registered aircraft to aid wildfire response operations, including water-bombing and aerial patrols. According to satellite data, South Sumatra reported the most hot spots, followed by West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan. The Forestry Ministry recorded nearly 94,000 hectares burned in July alone.