Driftspace
A strengthening El Niño weather pattern has driven Indonesia's 2026 fire season
A strengthening El Niño weather pattern has driven Indonesia's 2026 fire season to levels that, by some satellite measures, already exceed those of the severe 2015 season. Since July, more than 200,000 hectares have burned across peatlands in Borneo and Sumatra. Peat fires are especially difficult to extinguish because the organic-rich soil can smoulder underground for months, occasionally re-igniting at the surface long after flames appear to be out. More than five million people in the two islands have been directly exposed to heavy smoke; authorities have reported surging respiratory illness, school closures, and disrupted flights. Scientists note that El Niño does not ignite the fires directly but dramatically extends drought and lowers the water table in wetlands, greatly increasing their flammability. The wet season is the only reliable natural check on underground blazes. For people living near peatlands or other fire-prone landscapes, how does a season like this one change everyday life?