NASA Says Underground Peat Fires Make Indonesia’s Wildfires Harder to Track
NASA reports that Indonesia's peatland fires are becoming increasingly difficult to track due to underground smoldering and thick smoke cover. These fires are exacerbated by severe drought conditions and the El Niño climate pattern.
Why it matters
The inability to accurately detect and extinguish underground peat fires poses a significant long-term environmental and public health threat due to persistent haze.
September 4, 2026 | 11:16 am SHARE URL berhasil di salin. This satellite image shows widespread smoke blanketing parts of Indonesia's Kalimantan region, with red dots marking MODIS satellite fire detections. (Photo Courtesy of NASA) Jakarta. Indonesia's worsening peatland fires may be more difficult to track than satellite hotspot data suggests, as some fires smolder underground or remain hidden beneath thick smoke and forest cover while drought grips large parts of the country.
NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) captured thick plumes of smoke from fires across Kalimantan on Sept. 1, as Indonesia entered a fire season intensified by severe dry conditions and a strengthening El Ni o.
The challenge is particularly acute in peatlands. Unlike conventional forest fires, peat fires can continue burning beneath the ground, making them difficult to extinguish and detect from space.
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