After three rainless months, Kalimantan villages face low rivers, unsafe water, peat fires and toxic haze. El Niño drought is acting on wetlands drained for decades, while the government promises prevention, restoration and stronger enforcement.
Four fires were in Chimborazo and one each in Carchi and Azuay, while two controlled fires remained under watch. From January through September 18, authorities recorded 3,550 fires affecting 21,803.86 hectares of vegetation.
The fire had affected about 290 hectares and was 50% controlled at the reporting cutoff, after preventive evacuations and 170 aerial drops. Colombia was monitoring 27 wildfires: 19 active and eight under control.
At least 895,657 hectares have burned since January, while respiratory cases in affected provinces exceeded 113,000 by September 9. El Niño worsens drought, but human ignition, drained peatlands and forest degradation explain the crisis.
The June-to-August average reached 24C, 3.6C above normal, according to Meteo-France. The country recorded 53 heatwave days, nearly 40 per cent less rain than average, widespread fires and record ocean temperatures along its coastlines.
Lower rainfall, high temperatures and dry soils are amplifying fires that are overwhelmingly human-caused. Tolima accounts for nearly 30,000 affected hectares, according to the Humboldt Institute, which recommends isolation, monitoring regeneration and choosing passive or active restoration by site.
Palangkaraya recorded an AQI of 780 and Pontianak 593 in point-in-time IQAir readings on August 31. More than five million people were exposed to haze across Borneo and Sumatra as Indonesia strengthens firefighting, water management and restoration with Japanese support.
Resolution 1070 temporarily suspended controlled open burning across Colombia's rural territory. The measure responds to El Niño, 539 municipalities under alerts and 600 fires that had affected 14,872 hectares by 15 August.
Fires reported in Ayacucho, Cusco and Arequipa between 5 and 9 August were extinguished with no reported harm to people. The preliminary toll includes natural cover and two hectares of crops, while other incidents remained active or controlled in Cajamarca and Áncash.
An elderly couple died on Salamis and more than 500 people were evacuated. In the High Fens, the largest wildfire in Belgium's modern history burned about 3,000 hectares and mobilized ground and aerial resources from several European countries.
The projected October–December peak would arrive at the end of the dry season, with low rivers, flammable vegetation and delayed rains. It raises drought and fire risks into early 2027, although intensity and local impacts are not yet determined.
Civil Defence keeps the alert in force through 19 August, with temperatures up to 7°C above normal and humidity below 30% across much of the state. In the western half it may fall below 20%, raising wildfire and respiratory risks.