Indonesia wildfire fuelled by El Niño razes almost 300 homes

A forest fire in Bangka Belitung province, on Sumatra, reached a village after residents thought they had contained it. Nearly 300 homes were destroyed, and the local disaster agency said nearly 1,000 people evacuated. The disaster shows how quickly fires can threaten settlements built near damaged or converted peatland.

Residents first used portable water pumps on Saturday. However, fire remained smouldering below the peat’s surface. When the wind changed, it pushed the flames rapidly toward the settlement. Leni, a 55-year-old resident, said her house was gone and she could save only herself and her children.

The evacuation protected hundreds of people, but the losses were severe. The village had been converted from peatland into a housing complex the previous year, inside a protected area. Indonesia is also facing widespread haze, respiratory illness and fires that officials warn could continue until November.

Peatland is soil formed from partly decayed plant material that accumulated in wet conditions. It can store large amounts of carbon and organic matter. When peat dries, it becomes highly flammable. This matters because a fire may not remain visible at the surface, making it difficult to judge whether the danger has ended.

In Bangka Belitung, residents used portable water pumps and believed the fire was under control. But flames or heat continued smouldering beneath the peat. After the wind shifted, the underground fire helped drive flames quickly toward the village. The hidden burning explains why surface firefighting was not enough.

Peat fires can therefore burn slowly and persist through dry conditions. They also produce thick smoke and haze. Indonesia’s current fires have caused severe local haze and respiratory illness, while authorities warn that some blazes could continue until November.

Indonesia’s current fire season could become comparable to its worst recent disaster. Analysts say the area burned and emissions are on track to match the record blazes of 2015. That comparison matters because the earlier fires affected an enormous area and released vast amounts of carbon, creating environmental and public-health consequences.

The 2015 fires charred 2.6 million hectares and generated 333 megatonnes of carbon. The current season has already produced severe haze, tens of thousands of respiratory illness cases and worsening air pollution in Singapore and Malaysia. Fires have also damaged wildlife habitats across the region.

The final totals are not yet known, so matching 2015 remains a projection rather than a completed figure. Conditions are especially dangerous during El Niño, and Indonesia’s government calls the current situation the worst in a decade. Authorities warn fires could continue until November.

El Niño is a recurring climate pattern involving unusual warming in the tropical Pacific Ocean. It changes atmospheric circulation and rainfall patterns across many regions. In Indonesia, El Niño years are associated with greater heat and drought. Those conditions dry vegetation and peat, making fires easier to start and harder to control.

The article identifies El Niño as a major factor in Indonesia’s current fires. It says Indonesia is among the countries worst affected by heat, drought and fire during El Niño years. The government describes current conditions as the worst in a decade, while the seasonal peak is expected in November.

Drier landscapes also allow fires to spread more rapidly and make peat burn underground. The consequences extend beyond Indonesia through smoke and haze affecting Singapore and Malaysia. Until rainfall improves, dry conditions can prolong fires, damage habitats and increase pressure on emergency services.

Wildfires create haze when burning vegetation and peat release smoke and tiny airborne particles. Wind can carry that pollution far beyond the fire zone. Breathing smoky air can irritate the airways and worsen respiratory problems, especially during prolonged exposure. This makes fire a regional health emergency, not only a local environmental event.

Indonesia’s fires have produced severe haze locally and tens of thousands of reported respiratory illness cases. Smoke has also increased air pollution in neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia. The fires’ peatland setting is important because underground burning can continue after surface flames seem controlled, extending smoke production.

The article reports no final health total for the entire region. However, the continuing fires and drought suggest exposure may persist. Authorities warn fires could last until November, while thick smoke has already grounded water-bombing aircraft in a Borneo province.

The village stood on peatland within a protected area. Riza Herdavid said that land had been converted into a housing complex the previous year. The article does not explain why the conversion happened. Its importance is clear, however: homes were built on ground that could retain fire beneath the surface and expose residents to sudden danger.

Residents first fought the approaching fire with portable water pumps. They thought it was extinguished, but peat continued smouldering underground. A change in wind then drove the fire rapidly toward the settlement. Nearly 300 homes were destroyed, and nearly 1,000 people fled.

Converting peatland into housing can increase risk by placing people and buildings in a fire-prone landscape. The event also shows why visible flames are not a reliable sign that peat fires have ended. Future planning and emergency responses will need to account for underground burning and protected-land status.

Fire damages ecosystems beyond the period when flames are visible. It destroys vegetation and habitats that animals use for shelter and food. Drought then reduces water sources and prey. As a result, animals may die from burns, starvation, dehydration or exposure even after authorities extinguish the blaze.

The article reports that silvered langurs, long-tailed macaques and proboscis monkeys were found dead in ashes or beside dried-up ponds. Elephants, gibbons, pangolins and turtles are also likely to be affected. At least 46 orangutans have been rescued since August, while eight were recently moved to the Batu Nyambu protected forest.

The scale of the wildlife loss remains unclear. The International Union for Conservation of Nature says fires affected habitats containing 52% of Borneo’s orangutan population. Experts warn the toll may be huge, and surviving animals may face long shortages of habitat, prey and water.