West Kalimantan Hotspots Nearly Double as Indonesia's Forestry Minister Warns Country 'Not Yet Safe'

West Kalimantan's fire hotspot count surged by 3,553 to reach 7,377 on Aug. 31, with fire spots up 88 to 104, even as Central and South Kalimantan showed declines. South Sumatra hotspots rose by 209 to 1,013. Nearly 5.5 million people across Sumatra and Kalimantan are affected by the ongoing haze, with roughly 13,500 acute respiratory infection cases recorded cumulatively in July and August. Indonesia's Environment Ministry flagged 42 companies for possible action over fires detected in their concession areas. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said 'we are not yet safe from forest and land fires — but the national trend is decreasing,' warning that peatland fires can smolder underground undetected even as visible hotspot counts fall nationally.