Indonesia's 2026 forest fires burn nearly 2 million hectares as crisis worsens

Main points

• Indonesia's 2026 fires affected nearly 1.9 million hectares by September.
• Seven provinces reported more than 277,000 respiratory illness cases.
• Fire hotspots have declined, but authorities warn the crisis is not over.

Indonesia is battling its most severe forest and land fire crisis since 2015, with new satellite data showing that fires affected about 1.9 million hectares between January and September 2026.

The estimate, published by environmental monitoring group Nusantara Atlas on October 21, is 38% higher than the area recorded during the same period in 2019. More than half of this year's affected land was detected in September alone.

The latest findings challenge an infographic showing just 129,000 hectares burned as of October 15, 2026. That figure is substantially below independent satellite estimates and should not be presented as the confirmed national total.

Indonesia has experienced several major fire disasters over the past three decades. Fires in 1997–1998 affected an estimated 11.7 million hectares, while the 2015 crisis burned approximately 2.61 million hectares. Another severe season in 2019 affected about 1.65 million hectares, according to the historical figures shown in the infographic.

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The current crisis has been intensified by El Niño conditions, which have brought hotter, drier weather and increased the risk of fires spreading through forests and peatlands.

Reuters reported on October 13 that President Prabowo Subianto had ordered additional firefighting resources as smoke spread across Indonesia and neighbouring countries. Health Ministry figures showed 277,075 cases of respiratory illness linked to the fires in seven Indonesian provinces by October 12.

Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said on October 21 that firefighting operations were continuing across several provinces, particularly Central Kalimantan and South Sumatra. More than 71,000 personnel had been deployed in six priority provinces.

The situation showed signs of improvement by October 22, with Reuters reporting that high-confidence fire hotspots had fallen from more than 1,200 on October 14 to 565. However, authorities warned that uneven rainfall could allow fires to spread again.

Nusantara Atlas estimated that about 85,000 to 88,000 hectares of natural forest had been affected by September. Its wider 1.9-million-hectare estimate also includes agricultural land, grasslands and other vegetation. The organisation cautioned that land affected by fire does not necessarily mean all vegetation within it was destroyed.

With the rainy season delayed and fires continuing in several regions, Indonesia faces mounting pressure to contain the crisis and prevent further damage to its forests, public health and neighbouring countries.