Indonesian officials race to contain wildfires as dozens of schools shut

Authorities in Indonesia are scrambling to contain wildfires that have burned through more than 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of land and led to the deployment of nearly 50,000 firefighters.

Dozens of schools remain closed for a second day on Tuesday due to poor air quality caused by the blazes.

In West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, which Indonesia shares with Malaysia and Brunei, the mayor of Pontianak ordered schools closed due to the smoke wafting over the city from fires elsewhere.

Children will learn from home for as long as air quality remains poor, Mayor Edi Rusdi Kamtono said in a statement on Monday.

El Nino has contributed to dry conditions across the archipelago, increasing the risk of wildfires, as officials prioritise tackling the blazes in six provinces: Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra on Sumatra island, as well as West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan on Borneo island.

Addressing reporters on Monday, Chief Security Minister Djamari Chaniago warned that the arid conditions increased the likelihood of the fires spreading.

“We are on alert because the weather conditions really make it possible for these fires to become larger,” Chaniago said.

El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that brings worldwide changes in winds, air pressure and rainfall patterns.

In India and Southeast Asia, it typically causes drier conditions.

Authorities are trying to induce rain through cloud seeding. Chemicals such as silver iodide and salt are sprayed into clouds as part of the technique, which can increase rainfall by up to 15 percent.

However, Chaniago cautioned that authorities are struggling to find enough rain clouds to target.

“That is why we ⁠closely monitor even small changes in the weather. Whenever something is likely to produce rain clouds, we immediately carry [cloud seeding operations] out,” he said.

On Tuesday, firefighters were among more than 150 personnel working to extinguish what remained of a blaze at Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java province. The fire, which has destroyed about 900 hectares (2,200 acres) of land since starting nine days ago, has been mostly brought under control. It now covers about 2 hectares (5 acres).

More than a dozen aircraft have been deployed across Indonesia as part of cloud-seeding efforts, along with 43 helicopters assisting firefighters on the ground.

More than 107,000 hectares (264,000 acres) of land across the country were affected by blazes from January to June, according to Ministry of Forestry data. That marks an increase of 110 percent compared with the same period in 2023, when El Nino last affected Indonesia.