El Niño Peaks, September Becomes the Toughest Test to Control Forest and Land Fires

JAKARTA, GARISBUMI.com – Controlling forest and land fires in Indonesia is entering its most difficult period. El Niño is expected to reach its peak in September 2026, when fires have affected around 200,000 hectares of land from January to July.

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the risk of fires was not over even though the number of hot spots in Kalimantan and Sumatra had decreased at the end of August.

“Our problems are not over yet. September is the peak of El Niño. September is the main battle for us,” said Raja Juli in Jakarta, Tuesday, September 1 2026, as quoted by Reuters.

Data from the Ministry of Forestry shows that the area of ​​land burned until July has almost doubled compared to the position until June 2026, which reached 107,465 hectares.

The government has stepped up operations to extinguish and prevent haze in six provinces in Kalimantan and Sumatra. Handling is carried out through land operations, water bombing, patrols and weather modification technology.

Fires also have health impacts. Ministry of Health official, Andi Saguni, said the haze caused more than 50,000 cases of acute respiratory infections in seven provinces during July and August 2026.

According to Andi, the smoke is carried by the wind to other areas so that health problems do not only occur in areas experiencing fires.