Thousands gather in prayer as Palembang faces smoke crisis
Palembang residents hold prayer for rain as wildfires impact the region.
Event / Disaster
Indonesia South Sumatra Wildfires
Severe wildfires in South Sumatra province created Indonesia's highest concentration of fire hot spots with 1,429 identified. Nearly 940 square kilometers burned in July, generating dense smoke affecting Malaysia and Brunei. Authorities deployed aircraft and helicopters for firefighting operations while police arrested 72 suspected arsonists.
4 reported locations
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2026-08-25 to 2026-11-08 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 25 Aug, 07:34 UTC
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What happened
Indonesian police arrest 72 people suspected of starting wildfires
Indonesian police arrested 72 people suspected of starting forest and peatland fires, while four companies are under investigation for allegedly using fire to clear land at low cost.
Indonesia deploys 30 aircraft and 22 helicopters for cloud-seeding operations
Indonesia intensified weather-modification operations to combat wildfires by inducing rainfall through salt particle dispersal into clouds, deploying 30 aircraft for cloud-seeding and water-bombing operations over Kalimantan and 22 helicopters covering Sumatra.
About 3,000 residents perform Islamic prayer for rain in Palembang
Approximately 3,000 residents gathered in Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra province, to perform a special Islamic prayer for rain known as 'salat istisqa' in the courtyard of the governor's office as thick smoke reduced visibility.
Nearly 940 square kilometers burned in Indonesia's forests in July
Forestry Ministry data indicated that nearly 940 square kilometers (363 square miles) of forest and peatland were burned in July alone, with over 20 square kilometers (8 square miles) in South Sumatra province specifically.
Wildfire smoke crosses into Malaysia and Brunei from Indonesia
Dense smoke generated by wildfires driven by an intensifying El Niño pattern and prolonged dry season crossed into Malaysia and Brunei, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.
South Sumatra province records 1,429 wildfire hot spots, highest in Indonesia
South Sumatra province in Indonesia recorded the highest number of wildfire hot spots nationwide with 1,429 hot spots, followed by West Kalimantan with 1,226 and Central Kalimantan with 811, according to satellite data from the Environment Ministry.
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Indonesia arrests 72 suspects in wildfire arson investigation
Indonesia arrests 72 wildfire arson suspects in major enforcement operation.