Indonesia Wildfire Hotspots Surge Past 154,000 as Dry Season Peaks

Indonesia's fire-monitoring platform recorded more than 154,000 hotspots nationwide as of Aug. 11, 2026 — a roughly 60% jump from July's tally — as El Niño-driven drought intensifies the annual dry season. More than 107,000 hectares have burned nationwide so far in 2026, about double the area burned in all of 2023, with West Kalimantan and Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park among the hardest-hit areas. Schools in Pontianak, West Kalimantan closed as haze blanketed the city.