‘Everything is covered in ash’: Indonesia wildfires leave people in crisis

Published On 27 Aug 202627 Aug 2026.

Key points

• On Tuesday, President Prabowo Subianto remarked the administration had deployed dozens of helicopters, aircraft, water pumps, and thousands of personnel to battle the blazes.
• In Kabu Raya and other parts of West Kalimantan, emergency crews say they are grappling with tough conditions as fires spread swiftly through the dried-up peatland.
• "From what I have experienced, it is much worse compared to previous years, " remarked Dwi Wahyu Kurniawan.
• They have stomachaches, fever, coughs and runny noses, Siti Zahra, a mother of two, informed Al Jazeera.
• According to Zahra, it's impossible to avoid the ash, as it even invades their home.

Kubu Raya, Indonesia – As wildfires burn throughout Indonesia, forcing schools to close and thousands to seek medical treatment for exposure to thick haze and ash, locals in West Kalimantan say the situation is more serious than it has been in years.

"I have lived here for 15 years. I have never experienced a fire like this before. This is the first time something like this has happened, " Salma, a resident of Kubu Raya, tells Al Jazeera.

For almost two weeks in the area, she stated, fires grew and spread.

"I was scared, I was afraid that I would be burned by such a major fire. So I evacuated, " Salma said, adding that the fire "almost burned everything".

"If the firefighters had not come quickly, my house would have burned down, too."

Volunteer firefighter Anas Dwi Wahyu Kurniawan notes the situation is "very serious", telling Al Jazeera that the fires this year are similar in scale to those that took place in 2016.

As emergency crews battle the flames, wildfires have been burning for more than a month, and blazes continue to spread through the hot spots of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Java, and Papua.

Indonesia's Health Ministry notes 3.4 million residents are at risk of respiratory infections due to exposure, adding that it had distributed more than 260, 000 face masks to residents of the hardest-hit areas.

In Kabu Raya and other parts of West Kalimantan, emergency crews say they are grappling with tough conditions as fires spread swiftly through the dried-up peatland. They are additionally grappling with water shortages and haze hampering visibility.

He continued that he and other volunteers "face limitations in terms of personal protective equipment, as well as emergency equipment such as portable oxygen and other supplies", severely complicating their task of putting out the fires.

"With water sources far away and inadequate equipment, " he remarked, "I think the situation will continue for some time unless there is a change in the weather." 'Their health could become worse'.

In practice, the fires are having a severe impact on people's health, with doctors saying that plenty of patients are arriving with persistent coughs.

"On a daily basis, most of the complaints from patients here are coughing and sore throats, or what we call throat inflammation. Every day, between 50 and 70 individuals come in, " stated Dr Muhammad Arief Trihapsoro, at the Sungai Durian Health Clinic.

As well as the long-term impacts of prolonged exposure to air pollution, including a heightened risk of stroke and heart disease, conditions like bronchitis are a major concern. Medics say pregnant women and children are among the most vulnerable.

Plenty of parents have had to bring their children to health clinics and hospitals a number of times as symptoms associated with the fires keep reappearing.

"I brought both of my children. They have stomachaches, fever, coughs and runny noses, " Siti Zahra, a mother of two, informed Al Jazeera.

"They have been sick for two days, but before that they were additionally sick for three days, then they secured sick again. So, in this one month, they have been sick three times since of the smoke, ash, drought and fires."

"Everything is covered in ash, so I have to sweep every day. Not just once a day – even after I sweep, there is more ash in the back of the house. I sweep it up, and then there is more. I'm getting tired of sweeping."

She is so concerned regarding her children's health that she doesn't even allow them to go outside.

"I'm additionally afraid to go outside. I don't dare take the children out, so they just stay at home, " she said, adding that her children refuse to wear the protective masks she gave them, so "when we are here, I force them to wear masks so they are not exposed to even more haze and ash".

"I'm very worried that this will have a long-term impact on their health, " Zahra remarked. "In the long term, their health could become even worse."

In short, 'Everything is covered in ash': Indonesia wildfires leave people in crisis is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.