Why is it so hard to put out Indonesia's fires?

Summary of Key Points

• Indonesia’s wildfires are unusually severe this year, described as the most intense blaze in more than a decade. Smoke from the fires has spread across multiple countries, and satellite imagery shows massive haze plumes.

• Peatlands are the core driver of the crisis and are especially hard to extinguish.

  • The fires aren’t only burning vegetation above ground; peat beneath the surface can smolder for weeks or months, keeping smoke thick even after flames are put out.
  • Dry peat becomes highly flammable, largely due to drainage and land management practices.

• Drainage canals enable land conversion, particularly for agriculture and plantations.

  • Permitted companies build canals to drain peat, making it easier to plant crops (notably oil palm), while also making peat ecosystems more fire-prone.
  • Indonesia’s environmental ministry reported by July 2026 that 4.15 million hectares of peatland were managed by 314 companies—over 17% of Indonesia’s peatlands—indicating large-scale industrial involvement.

• Hotspot counts and monitoring are highly contested.

  • The official system reported 15,720 hotspots by September 2026, while independent monitors reported dramatically higher numbers (up to “54 times higher” in the subtitles), suggesting undercounting and/or methodological differences.

• Health impacts are widespread, especially haze exposure.

  • At least 12.5 million people across seven provinces were reported exposed to dangerous haze levels.
  • Reported symptoms include respiratory irritation (e.g., cough, runny nose, watery eyes, sore throat) and tendencies toward breathing difficulty.

• The President calls for deeper investigation and potential sanctions, framing the situation as potentially deliberate—including possible corporate responsibility.

  • President Prabowo demands investigations into causes and names of involved corporations.
  • He describes the fires as “ecoterrorism” and calls for sanctions.

• Environmental NGOs allege systemic corporate and permitting failures.

  • Walhi (as referenced in the subtitles) claims many hotspots in Kalimantan were located within concessions held by agribusiness companies.
  • The criticism is that it has become easier to obtain permits, while enforcement of permit conditions has weakened, allowing harmful practices to continue until disasters occur.

• Government response includes investigations and suspensions, but NGOs warn prevention and enforcement must be stronger.

  • As of Sept 16, authorities were investigating 162 individuals and 95 corporations, and had suspended licenses of 26 companies.
  • Indonesia’s forestry ministry warns the crisis could last until November.
  • The government is also establishing a national peatland and mangrove management agency to shift toward prevention.
  • Environmental groups argue that without firm action against corporate bad actors and stronger compliance monitoring, the crisis will likely return.

Presenters / Contributors Mentioned

• President Prabowo
• Walhi (environmental monitors/organization)
• Indonesia’s environmental ministry
• Indonesia’s forest and landfire monitoring system
• Indonesia’s forest ministry / forestry ministry
• Minister of Forestry (referenced in the subtitles)
• ATR (referenced in the subtitles: Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning)
• PKH Task Force (referenced in the subtitles)
• Authorities / government investigators
• Independent monitors (generic reference in the subtitles)