Schools Switch to Online Learning as Air Quality Drops in Kalimantan

Indonesia is currently facing a major battle against forest and land fires. Thousands of hotspots have popped up across the country, fueled by a long dry season and the intense El Niño weather pattern. To stop the haze from spreading, the government is now stepping up its efforts with strict legal action and new prevention plans .

Getting tough on those responsible

The authorities aren't playing around when it comes to the people behind these fires. As of August 2026, the forestry ministry is working on 42 fire-related cases, while the police have arrested 72 suspects linked to 89 different incidents in Kalimantan and Sumatra .

It's not just individuals facing consequences; companies are being held accountable too. Six firms have been hit with administrative sanctions for failing to stop fires on their land, and one company has even had its license suspended .

Keeping the peatlands wet

Peatlands are a huge concern because they are packed with carbon and catch fire easily. To fix this, President Prabowo Subianto has ordered officials to build more bore wells, reservoirs, and canals. The goal is to keep these areas wet so that fires don't start smouldering underground, which is much harder to put out .

All hands on deck

The government is treating this as a "dangerous disaster" and has deployed 1,000 military and police officers to help put out fires and talk to the public about safety .

Officials have been told to act fast the moment a hotspot is spotted. Unfortunately, the air quality has already become so bad that schools in provinces like East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, and Jambi have had to switch to online learning to keep students safe from the haze .