Indonesia Steps Up Wildfire Response as Malaysia Offers Help

Indonesian Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said firefighting efforts against the ongoing forest and land fires have been intensified. Antoni said water-bombing operations have been carried out 26 times so far in the central parts of Kalimantan.

The minister said 6 firefighting helicopters ready for duty in the region have not yet joined operations because visibility is insufficient. He added that ground operations have also been stepped up.

Offer of support from Malaysia

The Malaysian government offered to send 3 helicopters and 52 personnel to Indonesia to support the fight against the fires. Indonesian officials said technical and logistical issues on implementing the aid will be assessed.

Notices from Singapore to companies

Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) announced it will send precautionary notices to 3 Indonesian companies after findings suggested smoke from the Kalimantan fires may have reached the country. With this step, the number of Indonesian companies Singapore has sent notices to will rise to 10.

The notices require companies to assign teams to extinguish fires on their land or prevent them from spreading, stop burning activities, and submit action plans to prevent fires from recurring. The NEA said the notices do not mean the companies have been found legally responsible for the haze, but they can allow financial penalties if elements of a legal offence are established.

Background

According to government data, 64 aircraft fought the fires in Indonesia during August and September. Many Southeast Asian countries have been under heavy haze for weeks because of Indonesia's largest fires in recent years. The long-standing practice of burning vegetation to clear farmland is among the reasons the fires are hard to control, while El Nino conditions that reduce rainfall make matters worse. A study by an economic think tank had said this year's fires could cost the country about 1.7 billion dollars.