Indonesia wildfires burn for over a month across five islands, forcing school closures and mass evacuations

Wildfires have burned across Indonesia for more than a month as of August 27, 2026, spreading through Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Java, and Papua, forcing schools to close and thousands to seek medical treatment. A volunteer firefighter in Kubu Raya told Al Jazeera the scale of this year's fires is comparable to those of 2016. President Prabowo Subianto deployed dozens of helicopters, aircraft, water pumps, and thousands of personnel to battle the blazes.