Indonesia doing 'everything' but still struggling to curb fires
Summary
Indonesia is deploying aircraft, thousands of personnel and international assistance to battle massive forest fires in Borneo and Sumatra, but peatland conditions and limited water sources are making containment difficult. The blazes have spread toxic haze across parts of Malaysia and Singapore and have burned hundreds of thousands of hectares this year.
Key Points
- Indonesia has deployed 64 aircraft and 54,000 personnel to fight severe forest fires across Borneo and Sumatra.
- Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said the government is doing everything possible to extinguish the fires and protect the public.
- West Kalimantan officials said peat soil, deep-burning fires and limited water sources are complicating firefighting efforts.
- The fires have triggered legal action from Indigenous and civil society groups and prompted assistance from Japan and offers of help from Malaysia.
