Wildfires burn across Indonesia as officials cite El Nino as a cause

play Live Sign upShow navigation menuNavigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedSportOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNews|ClimateWildfires burn across Indonesia as officials cite El Nino as a causeHundreds of firefighters and helicopters battle a growing wildfire at Indonesia’s Mount Bromo. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoA volunteer battles a wildfire near Mount Bromo - one of Indonesia's most popular tourist destinations, [File: Juni Kriswanto/AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff and APPublished On 10 Aug 202610 Aug 2026Close to 50,000 firefighters and disaster personnel, backed by dozens of helicopters, are battling wildfires in several parts of Indonesia after an unusually dry season in the sprawling archipelago. Increased El Nino conditions have raised the risk of more forest and land fires during the peak dry season, said Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Djamari Chaniago, on Monday. Authorities in East Java say the largest blaze is in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, where about 743 hectares (1,836 acres) of land have been scorched. The park is closed to visitors until further notice. “This closure is a crucial step to ⁠⁠maintain the safety of visitors, staff and ⁠⁠people in the surrounding areas,” the park’s operator said on its Instagram page. The fire has burned large areas of dry grassland, vegetation and protected Edelweiss flowers. Flames have spread to the Penanjakan area, a popular viewpoint for tourists visiting the volcanic landscape of Mount Bromo, one of Indonesia’s best-known attractions. No injuries or building evacuations have been reported. Almost 6,000 firefighters have been deployed to battle wildfires in Jambi province. Officials said deep peat soil, limited water supplies, difficult access and strong winds have complicated efforts, even with help from three firefighting helicopters. Dry weather and strengthening El Nino conditions have raised the risk of fires during the peak dry season, according to Indonesia’s forestry ministry. Indonesia’s BMKG weather agency has warned that the 2026 dry season will be more intense and prolonged than usual, with a higher risk of wildfires and drought due in part to El Nino. The naturally occurring climate phenomenon brings worldwide changes in winds, air pressure and rainfall patterns and typically causes drier conditions in India and Southeast Asia. The last El Nino helped make 2023 and 2024 the two hottest years on record globally. Indonesia’s forestry ministry says more than 107,000 hectares of land caught fire nationwide between January and June this year – double the area burned in all of 2023. Indonesia’s meteorological agency warned that August and September are expected to be the most critical months for fire risk. Weather-modification, or cloud-seeding, operations are considered one of the most effective ways to help firefighters combat wildfires by inducing rainfall through the dispersal of salt particles into suitable clouds. However, the effort would be difficult to carry out because scientific monitoring “found no rain-bearing clouds suitable for weather-modification operations,” government minister Chaniago said. With cloud-seeding ruled out because of unfavourable weather conditions, “we are relying solely on water bombing and ground firefighting teams,” said Forestry Minister, Raja Juli Antoni, while visiting Mount Bromo on Sunday. He urged the public to avoid activities that could spark new blazes, including discarding cigarette butts and clearing land by burning. Wildfires have been reported in several of Indonesia’s most fire-prone regions, including 48,890 hectares of peatland ablaze in the provinces of Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra on Sumatra island, as well as Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan on Borneo island. The emergency has forced regional authorities to deploy over 48,000 firefighters and disaster personnel, the National Disaster Management Agency said. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: