Indonesia fires: latest events

Story so far

1. 23 Oct 2026 ■ Steady

   Months of Indonesian fires blanket Southeast Asia in haze; fires spread across New Guinea

   On Thursday NASA reported unusually high fire emissions on both sides of New Guinea, where human-set fires are spreading through drought-parched land. Earlier, on Tuesday, the BBC reported from Borneo that months of fires in Indonesia have covered Southeast Asia in haze and made hundreds of thousands of people sick.

2. 22 Oct 2026 ▲ Escalating

   Months of Indonesian fires blanket Southeast Asia in haze, sickening hundreds of thousands

   On Thursday NASA reported unusually high fire emissions on both sides of New Guinea, where human-set fires are spreading through drought-parched land. On Tuesday the BBC reported from Borneo that months of fires in Indonesia have covered Southeast Asia in haze and made hundreds of thousands of people sick. Students and activists also protested across Indonesia over fires linked to land clearing for palm oil plantations.

   Human-set fires spread across drought-parched New Guinea

3. 21 Oct 2026 ▲ Escalating

   Months of Indonesian fires blanket Southeast Asia in haze, sickening hundreds of thousands

   On Tuesday, BBC reported from Borneo that months of fires in Indonesia have cloaked Southeast Asia in haze and made hundreds of thousands of people sick. Also on Tuesday, students and activists protested across Indonesia over forest fires linked to land clearing for palm oil plantations. On Monday, reports said Indonesia is fighting its worst forest fires in 11 years, which are producing toxic haze.

4. 20 Oct 2026 ▲ Escalating

   Indonesians protest over land-clearing fires as worst blazes in 11 years continue

   On Tuesday, students and activists protested across Indonesia over forest fires linked to land clearing for palm oil plantations. The country is fighting its worst forest fires in 11 years, which are producing toxic haze.

   Indonesians protest over land-clearing fires

5. 19 Oct 2026 ● New

   Indonesia battles its worst forest fires in 11 years, producing toxic haze

   Indonesia is fighting its worst forest fires in 11 years, which are producing toxic haze. No further details were supplied in the latest report.

   Indonesia battles worst forest fires and toxic haze in 11 years

6. 18 Oct 2026 ● New

   Indonesia's worst forest fires in over a decade spread toxic haze across Southeast Asia

   Reports from Friday say wildfires in Sumatra show no sign of easing, and toxic haze has spread to neighbouring countries, creating a public health and pollution crisis. Four people have died in what is described as Indonesia's worst forest fire season in more than a decade. Jakarta says it will accept foreign help to tackle the blazes. No newer developments were reported in the supplied events.

7. 16 Oct 2026 ▲ Escalating

   Indonesia's worst forest fires in over a decade spread toxic haze across region

   Wildfires in Sumatra show no sign of easing, and toxic haze has spread to neighbouring countries, creating a public health and pollution crisis. Four people have died in what are Indonesia's worst forest fires in more than a decade. Jakarta says it will accept foreign help to tackle the blazes.

   Indonesia's forest fires spark haze health crisis across Southeast… · Four killed as Indonesia battles worst forest fires in over a decade

Written by Claude from the reports on this page and on the map. Check the linked sources for full details.