{
  "id": 6058758,
  "title": "The volunteers risking their lives to defuse Indonesia's wildfire 'carbon bombs'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/the-volunteers-risking-their-lives-to-defuse-indonesias-wildfire",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-06T23:13:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Science",
    "slug": "bbc-science",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1kx4lgy4z4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Smoke hangs heavy in the sky over Borneo, a smog that has stretched beyond national borders and even touched neighboring Singapore, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur. The air is thick and blinding, with a burning sensation in the nose and eyes. Volunteer firefighter Abdi explains the situation vividly, describing it as an extraordinary outbreak of fires and smoke. He has been fighting against the blaze for over a month, enduring the harsh conditions while battling toxic microparticles of carbon. Thousands of other volunteers, predominantly indigenous Dayak or Banjar people, are also working tirelessly to contain the inferno.\n\nThis inferno has scorched approximately 200,000 hectares of forest and farmland across Indonesian Borneo since early July. Beneath the surface, immense subterranean peat fires continue to smolder, emitting poisonous fumes that further deteriorate the air quality. Indonesia is currently grappling with a catastrophic wildfire situation, exacerbated by a so-called \"Super El Niño\" that has intensified local drought conditions. Thousands of active fire hotspots are proliferating, resulting in a cross-border haze crisis that ranks among the worst in the region in over a decade.\n\nOne of the most alarming aspects of these fires is their impact on Borneo's largest tropical peatland ecosystem, spanning an area of 4.5 million hectares. These peatlands, which are essentially vast swaths of forest and swamp, typically function as crucial carbon sinks, storing ancient carbon for millennia. However, when subjected to fire, they can release millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane, rendering them a 'carbon bomb'.\n\nPeatlands in Indonesia are among the world's most effective natural carbon stores. In Kalimantan, some peat deposits have been found to reach depths of over 20 meters, harboring more than 6,000 tonnes of carbon – approximately equivalent to the annual CO₂ emissions of 4,800 cars – per hectare. When peatlands burn, this fossilized carbon is released rapidly into the atmosphere, contributing significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions.\n\nAcross Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, air pollution indices have soared to unhealthy levels, nearly 75 times the World Health Organization's recommended threshold. Hospital admissions for respiratory infections have surged, with over 50,000 cases in Indonesia alone, including more than 12,000 children under the age of five. The pervasive effects of this pollution affect everyone living within the haze, exposing them to the toxic carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter that can infiltrate the lungs and bloodstream, leading to severe health consequences, including heart problems.\n\nThe volunteer firefighters on the frontlines of the disaster are enduring excruciating hardships to battle these fires, which are notoriously difficult to extinguish. In Central Kalimantan, two volunteers have tragically lost their lives, succumbing to the effects of fire exposure and respiratory issues. Despite the immense risks, volunteers are constructing makeshift ponds, canals, and borewells to irrigate the bone-dry peatlands, while some even brave the night to continue their fight.\n\nThe causes of these fires can be traced back to decades of land-use changes, primarily driven by deforestation and industrial development during the Suharto era. Despite this historical context, authorities have often avoided blaming industrial actors and have instead accused the indigenous communities, who are now risking their lives to combat the fires, of igniting the blazes due to traditional farming practices that involve controlled burns. The severity of the crisis demands urgent attention and concerted efforts to mitigate the devastating consequences of these blazes.",
  "summary": "Peat fires in Borneo are releasing ancient stores of carbon - and sending a toxic smog across South East Asia.",
  "key_points": [
    "Smoke blankets Borneo, spreading to Singapore, Manila, Kuala Lumpur",
    "Volunteers, mostly indigenous Dayak or Banjar, battle 200,000 hectare blaze",
    "Peatlands, world's largest carbon sinks, become 'carbon bombs' when burned"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC World",
        "title": "The volunteers risking their lives to defuse Indonesia's wildfire 'carbon bombs'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/the-volunteers-risking-their-lives-to-defuse-indonesias-wildfire-6058825",
        "published": "2026-09-06T23:13:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}