Indonesia Records 7,578 Hotspots Through August, West Kalimantan Leads

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has documented 7,578 high-confidence hotspots nationwide as of early August 2026. This figure is expected to rise as the year progresses.

West Kalimantan leads the affected provinces with 2,743 hotspots, followed by South Papua (662), Central Kalimantan (577), Riau (573), East Kalimantan (406), South Sumatra (277), and South Sulawesi (257).

BMKG attributes land and forest fires to three primary factors: human activity, geographical conditions, and weather. Human actions, such as intentional land clearing by burning, are identified as the main trigger. Geographical characteristics, like peatland, influence a region's susceptibility to fire and the difficulty of extinguishing them. Weather conditions, including low rainfall, high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds, accelerate fire spread and increase potential.

While weather typically plays a supporting role, its impact intensifies during severe droughts, especially when combined with El Nino. This phenomenon significantly reduces rainfall and prolongs dry seasons, making vegetation more vulnerable to ignition and rapid fire expansion. BMKG predicts the 2026 dry season will arrive earlier, be drier, and last longer than normal, with El Nino expected to persist until early 2027.