Indonesia bolsters troop numbers to combat Borneo wildfires

Fires between January and July burned more than 200,000 hectares of land, says the government.

The Indonesian government is sending 1,500 more soldiers to Borneo to help tackle wildfires that have burned through swaths of the island and created thick smog, choking some areas.

Fires this year have scorched at least 200,000 hectares (495,000 acres) of land – an area three times the size of the capital, Jakarta, the government said – as dry conditions, driven by a powerful El Nino weather pattern, take hold.

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President Prabowo Subianto, on a visit to the region on Saturday, ordered increased troop deployment, Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said.

“An additional three Indonesia National Armed Forces battalions, or around 1,500 personnel, will be brought in from outside Kalimantan starting today,” Teddy said in a statement.

Kalimantan is Indonesia’s part of Borneo, which the country shares with Brunei and Malaysia.

Six helicopters are also being sent to boost waterbombing operations, Teddy said.

The government is monitoring the situation closely and mobilising resources to help contain the spread of the blaze, Prabowo told reporters in the Central Kalimantan provincial capital of Palangkaraya.

“We’re taking mitigation measures. The important thing is to immediately stop the spread of fire spots,” the president said.

Smog from the fires has prompted local governments in Borneo, home to pristine rainforest and vast plantations, to advise residents to wear masks and stay indoors.

The fires have sent smoke into Malaysian Borneo, with six areas of Sarawak state recording “unhealthy” air quality.

The area burned is already larger than during previous El Nino seasons in 2019 and 2023, but not as large as in 2015 during a particularly strong El Nino.

El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that brings worldwide changes in winds, air pressure and rainfall patterns. It typically brings drought in Indonesia.

Climate change can amplify its effects because a warmer ocean and atmosphere make more energy and moisture available to feed extreme weather events.