Indonesia fire hotspots quadruple to 1,104 as haze disrupts 2,458 domestic flights

JAKARTA, Oct 19 — The Indonesian Forestry Ministry reported a sharp surge in fire hotspots across the nation, with the total rising to 1,104 hotspots as of October 19. Kalimantan, particularly Central and West Kalimantan, accounted for the majority of these hotspots, with Central Kalimantan experiencing a staggering increase from 92 to 495 hotspots.

West Kalimantan also saw a significant rise from 22 to 174 hotspots. The ministry attributed the surge to prolonged forest and land fires, leading to the generation of smoke and haze that deteriorated air quality in several provinces. Central and West Kalimantan are among six priority areas for firefighting efforts, alongside South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, Jambi, and Riau.

Air quality in these regions worsened to very unhealthy and hazardous levels. The Transportation Ministry revealed that haze had disrupted 2,458 domestic flights in Indonesia from August 11 to October 17, causing 1,080 delays, 1,324 cancellations, 22 diversions, six forced return flights, and 26 rescheduled flights.