Indonesia bolsters troop numbers to combat Borneo wildfires

Published On 22 Aug 202622 Aug 2026.

Key points

• President Prabowo Subianto, on a visit to the region on Saturday, ordered rose troop deployment, Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya stated.
• "An additional three Indonesia National Armed Forces battalions, or around 1, 500 personnel, will be brought in from outside Kalimantan starting today, " Teddy remarked in an official note.
• The fires have sent smoke into Malaysian Borneo, with six areas of Sarawak state recording "unhealthy" air quality.
• Smog from the fires has prompted local governments in Borneo, home to pristine rainforest and vast plantations, to advise residents to wear masks and stay indoors.
• The significant thing is to immediately stop the spread of fire spots, the president stated.

Notably, the Indonesian administration is sending 1, 500 more soldiers to Borneo to assist tackle wildfires that have burned through swaths of the island and created thick smog, choking some areas.

Fires this year have scorched at least 200, 000 hectares (495, 000 acres) of land – an area three times the size of the capital, Jakarta, authorities stated – as dry conditions, driven by a powerful El Nino weather pattern, take hold.

Kalimantan is Indonesia's part of Borneo. It the country shares with Brunei and Malaysia.

Six helicopters are additionally being sent to boost waterbombing operations, Teddy stated.

In practice, the administration is monitoring the situation closely and mobilising resources to assist contain the spread of the blaze, Prabowo noted to journalists in the Central Kalimantan provincial capital of Palangkaraya.

"We're taking mitigation measures. The significant thing is to immediately stop the spread of fire spots, " the president stated.

For context, the fires have sent smoke into Malaysian Borneo, with six areas of Sarawak state recording "unhealthy" air quality.

In practice, the area burned is already larger than during previous El Nino seasons in 2019 and 2023, but not as sizeable as in 2015 during a particularly robust El Nino.

El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that brings worldwide changes in winds, air pressure and rainfall patterns. It typically brings drought in Indonesia.

Climate change can amplify its effects since a warmer ocean and atmosphere produce more energy and moisture available to feed extreme weather events.

In short, indonesia bolsters troop numbers to combat Borneo wildfires is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.