Wildfire smoke caused an estimated 3,560 deaths in Indonesia in September 2026, according to a report released Thursday by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), as prolonged drought and widespread fires intensified a public health crisis affecting millions across the country.
The Helsinki-based research group estimated that total air pollution-related deaths reached 5,310 in September, up 42 percent from 3,740 in August.
Of those deaths, 1,750 were attributed to non-fire pollution from industrial activity, transport and other urban sources.
Approximately 57.8 million Indonesians experienced unhealthy to hazardous air quality during September, while more than 330,000 acute respiratory infections were recorded nationwide.
The report found that national PM2.5 exposure exceeded World Health Organization annual guidelines by more than seven times, reaching 10 times the threshold in Sumatra and 24 times in Kalimantan.
Wildfire smoke accounted for 94 to 99 percent of pollution-related deaths in Kalimantan and more than 80 percent in Sumatra.
In Java, however, industrial and urban emissions remained the leading contributors to pollution-related mortality.
Indonesia has battled extensive wildfires for months amid severe drought aggravated by the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Deforestation monitor Nusantara Atlas estimated that fires consumed more than 1.9 million hectares between January and September, although the government has neither confirmed nor rejected that figure.
The resulting haze has also affected Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and East Timor, raising regional concerns over worsening air quality.
The government faces mounting criticism over its preparedness and response, with experts highlighting inadequate prevention measures and budget constraints affecting disaster management.
CREA called for peatland restoration, stronger enforcement against illegal land clearing and stricter industrial emissions standards to reduce future pollution-related deaths.
Jakarta defended its response Wednesday, reporting the deployment of more than 72,000 personnel for firefighting and cloud-seeding operations.
Authorities also activated over 2,100 medical workers and distributed 5.3 million masks in affected areas.