Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia \u2014 Forest and land fires that have struck\nparts of Sumatra and Kalimantan show no sign of abating, despite ongoing\nefforts to extinguish fires at numerous locations. Hotspots have\nreportedly spread to other islands, including Merauke in Papua.<\/p>\n
The effects of the disaster are being felt beyond local communities.\nDense smoke has crossed national borders, blanketing Malaysia and\nSingapore. Air quality in both neighbouring countries has deteriorated\nsharply, prompting a rise in acute respiratory infection cases. In\nseveral Malaysian states, authorities have been forced to close schools\nand suspend face-to-face lessons.<\/p>\n
Fiqri Ardiansyah, a forest and land-fire expert at the Faculty of\nForestry of Gadjah Mada University (UGM), said a prolonged El Ni\u00f1o was\nthe main factor worsening this year\u2019s fires in Indonesia. The lack of\nrainfall has left vegetation and land, particularly peatlands, at their\nmost vulnerable.<\/p>\n
\u201cRainfall is extremely low, and we have entered a more intense El\nNi\u00f1o period. Rainfall is close to zero, making fuel such as peatland far\nmore vulnerable to catching fire,\u201d Fiqri said in a statement cited on\nThursday (15 October 2026).<\/p>\n
However, Fiqri stressed that drought alone cannot trigger fires. A\nfire requires an ignition source that interacts with fuel and\noxygen.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not the peat itself that suddenly causes a fire. Fires occur\nthrough an interaction between the ecosystem and a heat source. The main\ndifference between peatland and non-peatland lies in the characteristics\nand behaviour of the fire when it burns,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
In non-peat ecosystems, fires generally burn the surface and spread\nto the plant canopy. In peatlands, however, fire can burn not only above\nground but also penetrate and consume the soil beneath the surface. This\nmakes detection and suppression much more difficult because the source\nof the embers is often invisible.<\/p>\n
A key risk of peat fires is that embers can remain underground even\nafter flames on the surface appear to have been extinguished. If water\nis applied only to the upper layer, the underground embers may persist\nand reignite later.<\/p>\n
\u201cSigns of this subsurface burning include drying vegetation, curled\nleaves and thin smoke, even when no flames are visible,\u201d Fiqri\nadded.<\/p>\n
Logistical and geographical challenges are also hindering\nfirefighting efforts. Many fires are in remote, hard-to-reach locations,\nand the situation is compounded by limited water supplies, personnel and\nfirefighting equipment in local areas.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is supported by early-detection technologies, including\nFIRMS, Sipongi and data from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics\nAgency (BMKG). But Fiqri said the biggest challenge is the effectiveness\nof suppression methods on the ground, particularly in reaching embers\nbelow the soil.<\/p>\n
\u201cTechnologies such as injecting water into peat layers (grout\ninjection) and using fire-insulating materials are being developed.\nHowever, these approaches still need to be improved to ensure the fire\nis extinguished at its source,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Given the complexity of the fires\u2019 effects, which are influenced by\nwind direction and local topography, Fiqri said the government could not\nrely solely on rain as an immediate solution.<\/p>\n
Prevention efforts, including education and stricter enforcement of\nthe ban on clearing land by burning, must be strengthened. At the same\ntime, managing forest and land fires requires coordination across\nagencies, with priority areas identified according to their ecological\nand economic risks and their social impact on communities.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/forest-and-land-fires-spread-to-papua-as-ugm-expert-explains-the-causes-1792047065", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }