Indonesia's wildfires burn 900,000 ha in 2026 as haze returns a decade after 2015 crisis, exposing gaps in reform

Nearly 900,000 hectares had burned across Indonesia by late August 2026 according to independent monitoring platform Nusantara Atlas, with Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni warning on 16 September that fires could continue until early November as the rainy season was expected to arrive later than forecast. Health Ministry data recorded 113,336 wildfire-related respiratory infections across seven affected provinces by 9 September — more than double the 50,891 recorded on 1 September. An investigation by The Straits Times in South Kalimantan found that land-clearing by fire remains far cheaper than alternatives, and Indonesia is entering a major fire season without the government body created after 2015 to restore and monitor fire-prone peatlands.