BBC reports from wildfire front as toxic haze chokes millions in central Kalimantan

BBC reporters travelled to central Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo, where wildfires are producing a thick, toxic haze that is affecting millions of residents. The visit highlights the immediate health and environmental consequences of the blazes.

On the ground

BBC journalists visited the wildfire front in central Kalimantan, reporting a landscape shrouded in dense, smoke-laden haze. The smoke, fuelled by ongoing wildfires, has blanketed large areas and is described as toxic, with millions of people across the region affected.

Regional setting

Central Kalimantan is part of the Indonesian portion of Borneo and has experienced repeated episodes of hazardous haze in recent years. The BBC’s reporting focused on the frontline conditions where fires continue to burn and billow smoke into surrounding communities.

Health and daily life

Residents in the affected areas are living under severely reduced air quality as the haze spreads. The presence of persistent smoke has immediate implications for respiratory health and for normal daily activities for those who remain in the impacted zones.

Broader implications

The BBC’s visit underscores the recurring challenge that wildfires pose in parts of Indonesia, where episodes of extensive smoke raise questions about prevention, firefighting capacity and longer-term environmental management. The situation in central Kalimantan is likely to remain a focal point for local and national authorities as they monitor the fires and their effects on communities.