Kubu Raya, Indonesia – Intense wildfires have been raging across West Kalimantan for nearly two weeks, causing widespread ash coverage and forcing schools to close. Residents describe the situation as unprecedented in their 15 years of living in the area.
Local resident Salma told Al Jazeera, “I have lived here for 15 years … I have never experienced a fire like this before. This is the first time something like this has happened.” She added that her children refuse to wear protective masks at home, so she insists they wear them at the Sungai Durian Health Clinic to avoid further exposure to the haze and ash.
Dr Muhammad Arief Trihapsoro at the Sungai Durian Health Clinic reported that between 50 and 70 people seek medical treatment daily due to the effects of the haze.
On Tuesday, President Prabowo Subianto announced that the government had deployed dozens of helicopters, aircraft, water pumps, and thousands of personnel to combat the wildfires.
Officials have linked the severity of the fires to the ongoing El Nino weather phenomenon, which UK forecasters predict to be the most intense in over a century. Governments worldwide are bracing for the historic impacts of El Nino on global weather extremes.
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