Pontianak (Indonesia) (AFP) – Indonesia is doing "everything" to fight huge forest fires but dozens of planes and thousands of personnel are still struggling to contain them, a senior official said on Monday.
Issued on: 21/09/2026 - RFJ
Firefighters have been battling blazes for weeks in Borneo and Sumatra that have blanketed parts of the country, as well as neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore, in toxic haze.
The government has deployed 64 aircraft and 54,000 personnel to the islands since last month to try and put out the fires by water bombing, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said.
"From the air to the ground, all forces continue to move. Everything is being done to extinguish the fires, reduce the impact of the smoke, and, most importantly, protect the public from the threat of forest and land fires," he said.
"The vast size of the territory and the challenging conditions of peatlands pose serious difficulties in dealing with forest and land fires in various regions."
Daniel Sinyor, a spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency for West Kalimantan, one of the most-affected areas, said the varied depths of the fires burning inside local peat soils was adding to the difficulty.
"Another challenge is the limited water sources available to this ground task force. In general, water sources decrease or even disappear in areas affected by the fires," he said.
Last week, Indigenous and civil society groups in West Kalimantan filed a class action lawsuit against the government, including the president and the governor, for allegedly failing to prevent the fire.
"This is not a new disaster. This is a disaster that occurs every year. This recurring pattern proves our view that the defendants knew about the potential haze disaster and the risks of disaster from forest and land fires," the group's lawyer Glorio Sanen said in a statement at the time.
Around 350 members of Japan's Self-Defence Forces arrived in West Kalimantan this month to assist with firefighting efforts.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has also expressed readiness to accept help from Malaysia.
Indonesia regularly battles wildfires during the dry season, which typically runs from July to October.
But the blazes are more intense this year, coinciding with what is expected to be the strongest El Nino climate phenomenon since comparable records began four decades ago.
Experts also blame climate change, decades of forest degradation and slash-and-burn land-clearing practises that have changed the naturally fire-resistant landscape.
More than 202,000 hectares of land were burned across Indonesia between January and July, according to the government.
The Nusantara Atlas project put the figure at close to 300,000 hectares over the same period, and estimated that the total area affected was nearly 896,000 hectares when including August.
© 2026 AFP
Large wildfire threatens nature reserve near Colombian tourist town
22.09.2026, dpa
A large wildfire has broken out near the Colombian tourist town of Villa de Leyva, burning across hundreds of hectares, authorities said.
Around 290 hectares had been affected, Colombia's disaster management agency UNGRD said on Monday.
Several residents have been evacuated, along with guests from two hotels, as a precaution. No deaths or serious injuries have been reported.
Thirty-seven people have received medical treatment, most of them emergency workers, according to radio station Blu Radio.
More than 400 emergency personnel and volunteers are working to bring the fire under control.
"There is also a major risk that one of Colombia's most important nature reserves for wildlife and plant life, the Iguaque Nature Reserve, could suffer irreversible damage," Boyacá Governor Carlos Amaya told Caracol Radio.
Villa de Leyva has declared a state of disaster because of the fire.
Around half of the blaze is now considered under control, but strong winds in the mountainous region are making firefighting more difficult and could cause new fires to break out.
The cause of the fire remains unclear, with authorities also investigating whether human activity may have played a role.
Villa de Leyva, around 165 kilometres north of the capital Bogotá, is a popular tourist destination known for its well-preserved colonial architecture and historic centre.
Villa de Leyva (Colombia) (AFP) – A forest fire was burning Sunday in central Colombia near the popular tourist town of Villa de Leyva, officials said.
Issued on: 21/09/2026 - RFI
The flames were visible from the central square of the Andean town, known for its colonial architecture and cobblestone streets, that attracts more than a million tourists each year.
More than 200 hectares (494 acres) have been affected, local official Jose Castro told AFP, four times the area reported on Sunday morning.#photo1
Some 250 local firefighters and residents were fighting the blaze in the afternoon, about 24 hours after it began Saturday in a nearby forest.
Two helicopters from the governor's office and two military helicopters joined the effort, as did firefighters from Bogota.
The country's Disaster Risk Management agency said in a statement that the fire was 50 percent "under control" by Sunday afternoon.
Environment Minister Fabio Arjona said on X that the fire may have been "deliberately set."
'They abandoned us'
"Villa de Leyva is not alone," Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said on X.
"We will deploy all state resources to fight this fire and protect its inhabitants, its heritage, and its natural wealth," he added.#photo2
Authorities in Villa de Leyva declared a state of "public calamity" and suspended classes in local schools on Monday.
Mayor Nicolas Mendez told Caracol TV on Sunday evening that there were still "many active fire fronts."
"The resources we have are being overwhelmed," he said, calling for "urgent support" from national authorities.
Hotel manager Eliana Suarez said staff evacuated around 20 guests as the flames advanced along the hillside toward the hotel.
The fire later reached the roofs of some of its country cabins.
"They abandoned us when we needed it most and we are still asking for help and no one listens to us," the 24-year-old told AFP.#photo3
Forest fires are common during the dry season in the Andean region near the equator, but conditions have been intensified during the current El Nino weather pattern, which is bringing drought and high temperatures.
There are about 18 active forest fires in Colombia, according to the latest official data.
© 2026 AFP
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