Indonesia’s Peat Fires Intensify Amid El Niño

Indonesia’s 2026 peat fires have intensified across Kalimantan and Sumatra amid El Niño conditions, severe drought, and widespread degradation of peatland areas. Peat fires burn below the surface in carbon-rich wetland soils and can continue for long periods under dry weather conditions.

Peatlands and Fire Risk

Peatlands are waterlogged ecosystems made of partially decomposed organic matter, and Indonesia has one of the largest tropical peatland areas in the world. A scientific white paper dated 11 August 2026 linked the fire risk to a strengthening El Niño, rising temperatures, and the degradation of 4 to 6 million hectares of peatlands.

El Niño is a periodic warming of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean that alters rainfall patterns in many parts of the world. In Indonesia, drought conditions in early August 2026 left 90% of the country with little to no rainfall, which increased the dryness of peat soils.

Satellite Monitoring and Hotspots

NASA’s Aqua satellite uses the MODIS sensors to detect thermal anomalies and smoke plumes from active fires. On 1 September 2026, satellite imagery showed heavy smoke over Kalimantan, and thermal data indicated active burning beneath the canopy.

The ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Centre, based in Singapore, tracks regional fire activity in Southeast Asia. On 2 September 2026, active fire hotspots in Indonesian Borneo and Sumatra rose from 861 to 1,619.

Law Enforcement and Public Health Measures

Indonesian law enforcement arrested 72 people on suspicion of deliberately starting fires and opened investigations into 19 companies with agricultural concessions covering more than 11,000 hectares of burned land. Such fires are often linked to land clearing in plantation areas.

Heavy haze and poor air quality in Jambi and Pekanbaru led local authorities to shift school classes online. Smoke from peat fires contains fine particulate matter and toxic gases that affect respiratory health.

Important Facts for Exams

• Peat is a carbon-rich soil formed from partially decayed plant material in waterlogged conditions.
• Indonesia has extensive peatlands in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua.
• MODIS stands for Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer.
• El Niño is associated with reduced rainfall in parts of Southeast Asia during many episodes.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

NASA Science stated on 3 September 2026 that the 2026 fires had already released about 10% of the greenhouse gas equivalents produced during Indonesia’s 2015 fire season. Underground peat fires are difficult to detect because thick smoke and forest canopy can hide active burning from satellites.