Indonesian wildfire emissions surge to world's highest, data shows

Live updates

1. 4d ago

   Indonesian Wildfire Emissions Reach World Highest Levels

   Indonesian wildfires have produced the highest emissions globally, with a Super El Niño and drought fueling the surge. The resulting haze has blanketed Southeast Asia, forced school closures in Indonesia, and threatened the nation's new capital. Health impacts are severe, with the health ministry reporting that respiratory infections doubled in a single week and approximately 100,000 people have fallen ill. Volunteer firefighters are currently working to defuse underground peat fires, described as carbon bombs, while hotspots have exceeded 5,000.

   Why it matters

   Indonesia's peatlands store massive amounts of carbon that release into the atmosphere during underground fires. These events are recurring patterns linked to El Niño cycles. The current crisis disrupts regional air quality and public health across South-east Asia.

   What is confirmed

   • Indonesian wildfire emissions are the highest in the world.
   • Super El Niño and drought are fueling the current wildfires.
   • Haze from the forest fires has led to the closure of more schools in Indonesia.
   • Volunteer firefighters are attempting to stop underground peat fires.
   • The wildfires have caused haze to spread across South-east Asia.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Respiratory infections doubled in one week according to the health ministry.
   • Approximately 100,000 people have become sick due to the fires.
   • Hotspots have topped 5,000.
   • Wildfires are threatening Indonesia's new capital.

   What to watch next

   • Rainfall patterns in September to determine if dry conditions persist
   • Government deployment of additional firefighting carriers to the new capital
   • Updated health ministry data on respiratory infection rates
   Sources used for this update (13)

   1. www.today.com — Is There a Summer COVID Surge? With Cases Rising in Nearly Every State, Watch for These Symptoms
   2. Financial Times — South-east Asia choked in haze as Indonesia wildfires spread
   3. BBC — Indonesia fires: The volunteer firefighters risking their lives to defuse 'carbon bombs'
   4. CNN — Super El Niño-fueled fires destroyed huge tracts of this country before. They’re happening again
   5. Reuters — Indonesian wildfire emissions surge to world's highest, data shows
   6. 10TV — More schools close in Indonesia due to worsening haze from forest fires
   7. BBC — The volunteers risking their lives to defuse Indonesia's wildfire 'carbon bombs'
   8. South China Morning Post — Wildfires threaten Indonesia’s new capital as carrier ordered in
   9. Yahoo — Indonesian wildfires cause respiratory infections to double in a week, health ministry says
   10. Scientific American — El Niño fuels wildfires in Indonesia, sickening some 100,000 people
   11. Bluefield Daily Telegraph — Indonesia Forest Fires
   12. Bloomberg.com — Indonesia to Stay Dry Through September as Hotspots Top 5,000
   confidence 85%