Thick Smoke Envelops West Kotawaringin, Residents: Like Living Above the Clouds

Residents of West Kotawaringin Regency (Kobar), Central Kalimantan, are once again facing days shrouded in thick smoke. Air conditions on Wednesday (2/9/2026) even reached dangerous levels after fine particulate concentrations (PM 2.5) surged to 615.3 µg/m³.

This figure was recorded via the PM 2.5 monitoring tool at the Iskandar Meteorological Station, Pangkalan Bun, at 07:06 WIB. This concentration far exceeds the dangerous category threshold, which sits above 250.4 µg/m³.

The Forecaster on Duty for BMKG Kobar, Ni Kadek Trisna Dewi, stated that the change in air quality occurred very rapidly since the early hours of the morning.

“This morning, the smoke conditions in West Kotawaringin and surrounding areas show a dangerous status, with PM 2.5 concentrations reaching a peak of 615.3 µg/m³,” she said.

What makes the situation even more concerning is that the surge occurred within just a few hours. At 03:06 WIB, PM 2.5 was still recorded at 15.3 µg/m³, falling within the good category. However, just one hour later, the figure rose to 57.6 µg/m³, entering the unhealthy category.

“Concentrations increased again at 05:06 WIB to reach 106 µg/m³. Subsequently, at 06:06 WIB, PM 2.5 jumped to 213.3 µg/m³, entering the very unhealthy category,” she added.

Resident Complaints

The situation is being felt directly by residents. The thick haze has drastically altered the morning atmosphere, reducing visibility and disrupting community activities.

Rahmadi, a resident of Pangkalan Bun, described the condition as being above the clouds. Unfortunately, this ‘cloud’ is a haze that is dangerous to the human respiratory system.

“It is like living above the clouds,” he said on Wednesday (2/9/2026).

Siti Fatimah, a civil servant in Pangkalan Bun, admitted she was shocked when she woke up on Wednesday morning. Around 05:00 WIB, the thick smoke left no visibility outside the house.

“Until 07:00 WIB, it was still dark, like living in another world. It only started to become slightly visible around 8:00 AM,” she said.