Overview
- Authorities announced the arrest of 72 suspects in connection with 89 forest and peatland fire cases, and investigators are tracing financial records to determine whether plantation companies financed or ordered the burns.
- The central government has expanded firefighting operations with cloud‑seeding, water‑bombing helicopters, authorization for 35 foreign‑registered aircraft, and increased ground deployments to tackle thousands of hot spots across Borneo and Sumatra.
- Dense haze from smoldering peat and forest fires has crossed into Malaysia and Brunei, with Sarawak reporting very unhealthy air and nearly 600 schools closed affecting about 200,000 students.
- Drought, strong winds and dry vegetation driven by an intensifying El Niño have left many peatlands combustible and some underground fires inaccessible to more than 10,700 to 24,000 deployed firefighters, hindering suppression efforts.
- Experts warn the season could worsen into September–November because drained peat burns below the surface and past strong El Niño years produced far larger, longer fires with major health and carbon‑emission impacts.