Indonesia deploys major response as forest fires spread toxic haze

Indonesia has deployed 64 aircraft and 54,000 personnel to fight forest and land fires on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, but officials say the response is struggling against the scale and conditions of the blazes. Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said authorities were using air and ground resources to extinguish fires, limit smoke and protect the public. He said the size of the territory and difficult peatland conditions were making the operation particularly challenging.

In West Kalimantan, disaster mitigation agency spokesman Daniel Sinyor said fires burning at different depths within peat soils were difficult to extinguish. He also cited declining or disappearing water sources in affected areas as an obstacle for ground teams. The smoke has blanketed parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for weeks.

Malaysia began cloud-seeding operations in three southern states on Monday, citing the need to support water resources and help clear haze. Kuala Lumpur recorded an air-pollution reading of 156, while Kuching recorded 157; readings above 100 are considered unhealthy under Malaysian guidelines. About 350 members of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces arrived in West Kalimantan this month to assist.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has also indicated that Indonesia is prepared to accept Malaysian help. Indigenous and civil society groups in West Kalimantan last week filed a class-action lawsuit against the Indonesian government, including the president and the provincial governor, alleging failures to prevent the fires. The groups said the recurring annual pattern showed officials knew of the risks.

Government figures put land burned between January and July at more than 202,000 hectares. The Nusantara Atlas project estimated a higher figure, nearly 300,000 hectares during that period and almost 896,000 hectares including August.