TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Wildfires in Indonesia’s Kalimantan are doing more than filling the air with smoke. The haze has forced schools to close, increased pressure on health services and made it harder for local volunteers to fight fires.
West Kalimantan is among the areas hardest hit, with smoke also crossing into neighboring Malaysia. Dry conditions associated with the El Niño weather phenomenon have added to the challenges as communities wait for the rainy season to bring relief.
As reported by AFP, fires are affecting daily life in several ways, from disrupting children’s education to increasing health risks and putting local firefighting teams under pressure.
Schools struggle to keep students learning
Poor air quality has forced hundreds of schools across West Kalimantan to suspend in-person classes, affecting around 200,000 students, according to the provincial education ministry.
In Pontianak, Syarifah Hatifah, a 57-year-old vice principal at a junior high school, said the latest closure was the longest she had experienced in her 30-year career.
Her school, which has nearly 600 students, has moved classes online after being closed for three weeks during the second school shutdown this fire season.
“The hope is that at home, in terms of health, they can be protected... because they are inside the house. They don’t have to go through roads full of dust and smoke,” Syarifah told AFP, as cited by The Strait Times.
But studying from home is not an easy solution for everyone. Some students lack computers or reliable internet access, while power outages and uncharged phones can also interrupt online classes. Students in remote areas may face even weaker connectivity.
Teachers continue to conduct online lessons from classrooms at the school. Syarifah said the school plans to provide free additional lessons when students are able to return to in-person learning.
“We hope that this haze will pass quickly. Usually after the rain falls, the haze will disappear,” she said.
Haze puts health services under pressure
The prolonged exposure to smoke is also putting pressure on local health services, particularly as respiratory illnesses increase.
In Kubu Raya regency, home to about 700,000 people across 123 villages, more than 1,400 people had been treated or hospitalized for acute respiratory infections in September as of the time of reporting. The figure reached 6,396 in August, according to the local health agency.
Health officials have been distributing around 1,000 masks a day, but supplies are beginning to run low.
“We distribute masks to the public every day, about 1,000 masks per day. Of course our stock is starting to run low,” said Iwansyah, head of the Kubu Raya health agency.
The health impact extends beyond respiratory problems. Reduced access to clean water during the dry spell has also contributed to 225 reported cases of diarrhea in September.
The agency has requested additional masks and is increasing supplies of medicine and medical equipment while monitoring air and water quality.
Firefighters battle blazes with limited equipment
The fires are also placing local volunteer firefighters on the front lines, often with limited equipment.
In Lintang Batang hamlet outside Pontianak, volunteers were battling a peatland fire that had been burning for four days as of September 6.
Residents have pooled their own money to purchase a water pump, hoses and other equipment, but the supplies remain insufficient.
“We’re still short of hoses, which makes it hard for us to extinguish this fire,” said Yonas, the hamlet’s deputy head.
Volunteers sometimes resort to using buckets when they lack adequate firefighting equipment. They also need food and protective gear, including masks, while working in heavy smoke.
Yonas said the smoke poses particular risks to children, pregnant women, older people and those with asthma.
“It’s very hazardous to the health of us who live in this village,” he said.
Haze spreads beyond Indonesia
The impact of the fires is not limited to Indonesia. Smoke from Kalimantan has also spread across national borders, affecting air quality in parts of Malaysia and reaching countries farther away in the region.
Reports by Tempo have also documented haze reaching Singapore, Brunei and Manila, underscoring how smoke from fires in Indonesia can travel hundreds of kilometers depending on wind and weather conditions.
The cross-border haze has made the fires a regional concern, with deteriorating air quality potentially affecting public health, transportation and daily activities beyond the areas closest to the fires.
For residents of West Kalimantan, however, the immediate concerns remain staying healthy, keeping children safe and containing the fires until weather conditions improve.
West Kalimantan’s wetter season typically begins around October or November, leaving communities facing continued disruption if dry conditions persist.
