Six orangutans, including two nursing infants, have been rescued from fires in Borneo over the past week, bringing the total number of rescued apes to 15 in the past month, according to Indonesian authorities and wildlife rescuers. The animals were found in the rural West Kalimantan province, on the Indonesian part of Borneo, where they became stranded after wildfires blocked their path back to the forest. The forestry ministry and the YIARI wildlife rehabilitation foundation reported that a large fire was burning just 200 meters (656 feet) from where the group was discovered. The situation left the orangutans without a safe way to return to their habitat, forcing them to move between plantations, increasing the risk of conflict with nearby human communities. Rescuers worked with local residents and plantation workers to save four orangutans on Friday and a mother-infant pair on Tuesday. To reduce stress and prevent injury, the animals were anesthetized before being transported to YIARI’s rehabilitation center in the town of Ketapang. Orangutans are found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, both of which have been severely affected by wildfires. These fires have destroyed vast areas of land and produced thick, toxic haze that has spread to neighboring countries like Malaysia and Singapore. The Indonesian government reported that more than 202,000 hectares of land burned between January and July, with higher figures expected for August. The Nusantara Atlas project estimated the total burned area to be as high as 895,657 hectares, including August. The European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service noted that the haze from the fires was the worst for any August in 24 years. Indonesia's dry season, which runs from July to October, has been exacerbated this year by the El Niño weather phenomenon, which brings prolonged dry conditions and increases the risk of wildfires. Wildfires release harmful PM2.5 particles—tiny pollutants that can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, posing serious health risks. Greenpeace estimates that around 35 million people in Indonesia are exposed to this toxic haze. To combat the blazes, some 43,000 firefighters have been deployed nationwide. Recently, a Japanese navy ship arrived in West Kalimantan with three helicopters to assist in water-bombing efforts aimed at controlling the fires.