Indonesia's Peat Fires Burn Underground for Months
Firefighters say the underground fires take months to put out and can flare back into open flames.
Global News Podcast · Zelensky says US intelligence sharing is back onIndonesia is enduring its most intense fire season in ten years. Some of the fires burn underground, in peat, and take months to put out.
Across Indonesia, millions of hectares have burned. In Central Kalimantan, the city of Palangkaraya is among the places hit hardest, where air pollution has reached hazardous levels. Firefighters there say underground peat fires take months to put out. Even then, the fire may never be fully extinguished, and can flare up again into open flames.
The fires have produced a large toxic haze affecting millions of people across Southeast Asia. Health reports tie the smoke to hundreds of thousands of cases of breathing illness in Indonesia. Smoke has also moved over neighboring Singapore and Malaysia.
At a medical clinic in Palangkaraya, residents are seeking help for troubled breathing, irritated eyes, and head pain. Natari Victoria, a 22-year-old resident, came in for a cough that has not stopped since the fires broke out. Her young cousins, including babies, are coughing too.
Jim McQuaid, a researcher who studies air at the University of Leeds and traveled to measure the fires, warns that the danger is not only the coughing. The smallest particles in the haze can have long-term effects that remain hidden, especially for young children in a region with a fast-growing population.
Environmental groups blame forest loss, clearing of land by big plantation owners, and a lack of legal action. The Indonesian government says it is putting all its efforts into extinguishing the fires and has vowed stricter action. Meanwhile, people in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia are pressing for a stronger response to stop the haze, and protesters in Jakarta are urging officials to punish companies tied to the fires.
Questions people ask
What exactly is peat, and why does it burn so long?
Peat is a thick, dark soil made of partly decayed leaves and wood that has built up over thousands of years in waterlogged swamps. When drained for farming, it dries out and becomes rich fuel, so a fire can creep slowly downward and sideways for weeks with little smoke showing at the surface.
Why can't firefighters just spray water on it?
They do, but water runs off or evaporates before it soaks deep enough to cool the hot peat. Crews often have to dig trenches, flood the ground for long periods, and keep checking with heat sensors because a small hot spot left behind can restart the fire.
Why is peat smoke so unhealthy?
Peat burns at a low temperature and produces huge amounts of fine particles and gases. Those tiniest particles can lodge deep in the lungs and enter the blood, which is why doctors worry most about long exposure in children, older people, and anyone with asthma.