Wildfires in Indonesia have grown more severe due to "super El Niño" conditions, a climate pattern that brings unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Pacific, leading to drier weather in parts of Southeast Asia. These fires have pushed air quality to dangerous levels in cities far from the burning areas and pose serious threats to both people and wildlife. Indonesian forestry minister Raja Juli Antoni warned that the situation is expected to get worse as El Niño conditions reach their peak in September, which he called the most critical month in the fight against the fires. Between January and July, wildfires burned over 200,000 hectares of land, with more than 95,000 hectares lost in July alone—marking the highest average temperatures for the month in 35 years. The fires are burning through parts of Borneo, a region home to critically endangered Bornean orangutans. Air quality has deteriorated dramatically, making it difficult for both humans and animals to breathe. The Indonesian environment ministry has identified 42 companies with land concessions that are at high risk of wildfires. So far, 72 people have been arrested for suspected involvement in starting the fires. To combat the blazes, authorities have deployed weather modification technology, such as cloudseeding, and used aircraft to drop water on hotspots. These efforts have been spread across five provinces in Borneo. Despite these measures, the fires continue to spread. In West Kalimantan, the number of fire hotspots nearly doubled in one day at the end of August, reaching 7,377. Visibility dropped below a kilometer in some areas. In Central Kalimantan, while the number of hotspots decreased slightly, active fires increased. Air quality readings in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, reached 780 on the IQAir index, and in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, they hit 593—both levels indicating extremely hazardous conditions. The fires have already claimed a life. Akhmad Rijani, a volunteer firefighter, collapsed and later died while responding to a fire in Palangka Raya. In response, mandatory health screenings were introduced for all wildfire volunteers and firefighting personnel in the area. Indonesia's deputy health minister reported that around 13,500 people were treated for respiratory infections in July and August, with an estimated 5.5 million people across Borneo and Sumatra directly exposed to the smoke. More recent data shows over 50,000 hospitalizations for respiratory issues since the fires began earlier this year. The fires are burning through peatlands, which are thick layers of organic material that store vast amounts of carbon. When these areas are drained or burned, they can release enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere in a short time, contributing to climate change. Indonesia's 2015 peat fires affected over 43 million people and resulted in more than 500,000 cases of respiratory illness, according to the UN Environment Programme, at a cost of $16.1 billion. This year’s fires have also impacted wildlife, with rescuers treating seven orangutans affected by the blazes so far. The smoke from the fires has spread far beyond Indonesia’s borders, prompting the ASEAN regional bloc to issue its highest transboundary haze alert. In Malaysia, six areas in Sarawak recorded hazardous air quality, leading to cloudseeding operations scheduled for early September. The smoke also reached the Philippines, where schools in Quezon City switched to remote learning due to unhealthy air conditions. Forecasts indicate that the pollution may spread further, affecting southern Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Indonesia’s wildfires have emitted an estimated 46 megatonnes of carbon between August and September—roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 45 coal-fired power plants. This is the highest level for the period since 2003, with about 38 megatonnes coming from Kalimantan alone. Brunei and Singapore have also issued public health advisories, warning of potential haze in the coming weeks.