The Albany Gazette - Indonesia deploys hundreds of soldiers to tackle Borneo fires

Fires between January and July burned over 200,000 hectares of land -- an area three times the size of the capital Jakarta, the government said this week, as dry conditions driven by a powerful El Nino weather pattern take hold.

President Prabowo Subianto, on a visit to Borneo on Saturday to lead wildfire response meetings, ordered increased troop deployment, said Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.

"An additional three Indonesia National Armed Forces battalions, or around 1,5000 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 were also set to arrive on Saturday to boost waterbombing operations, Teddy said.

The government is monitoring the situation closely, 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," said the president.

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

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.

Human-caused climate change can amplify its impacts because a warmer ocean and atmosphere make more energy and moisture available to feed extreme weather events.

(A.Johnson--TAG)