Central Kalimantan Forest Fires: Lack of Prevention Efforts Leads to Fatalities?

Forest and land fires (karhutla) continue to rage in Central Kalimantan (Kalteng), Indonesia, blanketing the region in thick haze and leading to poor, even dangerous, air quality. The fires have already claimed lives, with at least three volunteer firefighters confirmed dead. Akhmad Rizani, head of a fire suppression volunteer team in Palangka Raya, died on August 27. On August 30, Ahmadin, a volunteer with the Damkar Rumah Singgah Ita in Pangkalan Bun, also passed away. Most recently, Aries Sutio Luthfil Hadi, a member of the Masyarakat Peduli Api (MPA) from Kotawaringin Lama, died en route to the hospital on September 10. He had been on duty near KM 19 on the Pangkalan Bun–Kotawaringin Lama road and reportedly suffered respiratory failure after battling the flames. Visibility has been reduced to between 300–500 meters since August 19, impacting flight operations and causing several flight delays. In Tumbang Nusa, Pulang Pisau Regency, the fires have begun to approach residential areas. Supriyadi, a resident of Tumbang Nusa, reported on August 29 that the fires had been in a contiguous area about 500 meters from settlements for several days. The haze has been particularly thick from the afternoon into the evening, with some residents complaining of shortness of breath. Residents are taking precautionary measures, with almost every household reportedly having pumps ready, anticipating the fires drawing closer. This preparedness stems from the severe fires experienced in 2015–2016, when flames threatened settlements from multiple directions. Source: Mongabay Indonesia