When the Fire Comes, the Village Forest Vanishes: Indonesia’s Rising Threat of Forest Fires Amid Budget Cuts and Drought Fears

Indonesia is facing an escalating forest fire crisis in 2026, with firefighting efforts hampered by budget shortfalls and worsening drought conditions linked to an emerging El Niño phenomenon. As of late March, Riau province declared an emergency alert after a doubling of fires burned 2,713 hectares of forest and land, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

The situation has been exacerbated by prolonged dry conditions since the start of the dry season, turning peatlands into highly flammable terrain. In Bengkalis Regency, Riau Islands province, a fire that began in Teluk Lancar village on March 28 spread rapidly through dried canals and into the social forestry area of Sekodi village. In just three nights, the blaze consumed a peatland area roughly the size of Jakarta’s National Monument complex, leaving behind cracked, blackened earth with embers still glowing beneath the surface in some spots.

The fire did not remain confined to forested areas. Towering flames, described as twice the height of oil palm trees, scorched approximately 20 hectares of community farmland. Shifting winds carried embers into residents’ fields, destroying crops such as oil palm, rubber and sago that had been cultivated over years. Anasrifitria, 55, Head of the Bina Pertiwi Village Forest Management Agency, recalled the event: “At first, we thought it wouldn’t reach here. But the wind was very strong that night.” She spoke of the incident on April 16, less than a month after it occurred.

Peat more than one meter deep, parched since the start of the dry season, became a kind of highway for the embers. Beneath the ground, the fire burned unseen.

Anasrifitria, Head of Bina Pertiwi Village Forest Management Agency

Indonesian authorities have responded with water bombing and cloud seeding operations in an attempt to contain the blazes. However, firefighting efforts are being strained by financial constraints. Reports indicate that Indonesia’s firefighters are bracing for a dry year ahead while facing a “cash drought,” limiting their capacity to respond effectively to the increasing number of hotspots.

The current fire surge aligns with broader climate warnings. Climate scientists have forecast a strong El Niño event for 2026, with some referring to it as a potential “Godzilla” El Niño. This phenomenon, combined with a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, is expected to prolong the dry season from April through October, significantly reducing rainfall across Indonesia and heightening fire risks in regions such as West Kalimantan and Sumatra.

In Ketapang, West Kalimantan, unseasonally dry conditions have persisted since February 2026, leading to forest fires that reached restoration areas within the Pematang Gadung Village Forest. These areas had been undergoing recovery efforts following severe fires in 2015 and 2017. Officials warn that land-use change, forest degradation, and the broader climate crisis are exacerbating vulnerability to fire, even as El Niño remains a naturally occurring climate pattern.

As Indonesia enters the peak of its dry season, the combination of extreme weather, limited firefighting resources, and ongoing land-clearing practices continues to challenge efforts to prevent further environmental and economic damage. The fires threaten not only local livelihoods and ecosystems but also raise concerns about broader impacts on regional haze and global climate systems.