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

Raja Juli said that most of the fires were triggered by human actions, both by individuals and companies. Land clearing by burning is still a problem, especially in areas that have peat landscapes.

The government has imposed fines on six forestry permit holders. This process can proceed to a criminal investigation if evidence of a violation is found.

Deputy for Environmental Law Enforcement at the Ministry of the Environment, Rizal Irawan, said satellite imagery shows that there are 42 companies that control concessions with high fire potential.

BMKG previously reported that El Niño was very strong and the Indian Ocean Dipole was positive, causing widespread dry conditions in Indonesia. Until mid-August, the dry season had covered 79.9 percent of the region or 559 season zones.

Himawari-9 satellite monitoring on August 23 2026 detected 299 hot spots with a high level of confidence in Sumatra, 383 spots in Kalimantan, and 186 spots in Papua and Maluku.

GARIS EARTH processed this report from information and data published by Reuters, the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Environment and BMKG.

Source:

Reuters, September 1, 2026⁠

BMKG, 24 August 2026⁠