Kebakaran Hutan Kalimantan
In short
Massive forest and land fires are currently burning across Kalimantan, producing dangerous smoke that has reached as far as Bangka Belitung. Air pollution levels in areas like Katingan have reached extreme peaks, with an air quality index of 3,224.
In plain words
Large fires are destroying trees and burning deep into peatlands. This creates thick, toxic smoke that makes the air unsafe to breathe. The fires are very hard to put out because they burn underground in the dry peat soil.
A simple example
In Katingan, the air pollution has become so high that it is dangerous for people to be outside. The smoke from these fires is even drifting to distant islands like Bangka Belitung.
Why it matters
These fires destroy ancient organic soil layers and release massive amounts of carbon. The resulting haze causes serious health problems for millions of people across Indonesia.
Easy to mix up
Do not confuse these forest fires with controlled agricultural burning, which is managed differently.