SOUTHEAST ASIA — Wildfires are burning across large parts of Indonesia, sending hazardous haze into Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. A 'Super El Niño' is exacerbating drought conditions in the region.

On September 2, 2026, the Air Pollutant Standard Index (ISPU) in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, surged to 1,016, with pollutants from forest and land fires forecast to spread towards Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). West Kalimantan recorded 7,377 fire hotspots on a single day in August 2026, nearly doubling from the previous day, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPA).

Indonesian forestry ministry data reveals that 94,000 hectares (232,000 acres) burned in July 2026 alone, with 200,000 hectares burned between January and July—a 35% increase compared to the same period in 2025, according to official records. Forest fires in Indonesia burned a 359,000-hectare area last year.

"Our problems are not over. September is the peak of El Niño," forestry minister Raja Juli Antoni said at a press conference. "September is the main fight for us."

The health impact of the haze is evident in medical records and resident reports. Indonesia's Health Ministry recorded over 50,000 cases of respiratory infections linked to land and forest fires between July and August. More than 12,000 of the recorded respiratory infection cases were in children under the age of five.

Residents in Palawan, Philippines, reported symptoms including itchy eyes, nose, and throat. Malaysia has reported rising cases of asthma and conjunctivitis as air quality worsened.

Timeline

Many of the ongoing fires have been burning across Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo since mid-July.

What's New

Research titled "Wildfires ignite infection risks, by weakening the body’s immune defences and spreading bugs in smoke" was published in 2025.

The Manila Times reported that transboundary haze incidents hit the Philippines in 2015 and 2019, with toxic plumes emanating from almost the same region in Indonesia. West Kalimantan recorded 7,377 fire hotspots on a single day in August 2026, nearly doubling from the previous day, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPA), showing the rapid escalation of fire activity in Indonesian Borneo.

During the 2015 haze crisis, peatland fires contributed to 15% of global carbon emissions from land-use changes, according to the Global Carbon Project, reflecting the ecological impact of Indonesia’s peatland burning—a recurring issue in Indonesian Borneo. In 2015, Indonesia's government for the first time named five companies—Asia Pulp and Paper, Rimba Hutani Mas, Sebangun Bumi Andalas Wood Industries, Bumi Sriwijaya Sentosa, and Wachyuni Mandira—as responsible for the 2015 Southeast Asian haze crisis, marking a precedent for corporate accountability in transboundary fire-related pollution.

Malaysia's Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah Embas stated that any area where air quality readings cross 500 would be placed under a local emergency, with all public and private offices closed, and only essential services allowed to operate. Since April 2026, Indonesian authorities have issued early-warning letters to 20 legal entities whose concession areas showed wildfire hotspots, and conducted inspections of 32 forestry permit holders as part of prevention efforts.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on details regarding Indonesian Borneo. The primary source states the wildfires are burning through one of the world's largest tropical peatland ecosystems in Indonesian Borneo. The Global Carbon Project notes that during the 2015 haze crisis, peatland fires contributed to 15% of global carbon emissions from land-use changes, according to the Global Carbon Project, reflecting the ecological impact of Indonesia’s peatland burning—a recurring issue in the region.

Another point of difference involves the timing and scope of fires in Indonesian Borneo. The Global Carbon Project shows the contribution of peatland fires to global carbon emissions during the 2015 haze crisis.

Why It Matters

The crisis is rooted in decades of land-use change dating back to the Suharto era, when vast areas of rainforest and peatland in Kalimantan were opened for logging, plantations, and large-scale development projects. In 2015, the Indonesian government mandated that polluting companies submit action plans to prevent future fires, setting a precedent for regulatory enforcement against corporate land-clearing practices linked to haze, as documented in the 2015 Southeast Asian haze Wikipedia entry.

Impacts of Super El Niño events can include widespread and severe flooding and drought, unseasonable temperature extremes, crop failures, food shortages, famine, disruption in water supplies, displacement, declines in native fauna, and an increased risk of wildfires and cyclones. The events described span 11 years, from 2015 to 2026.