Residents and exhausted volunteer firefighters in Indonesia have taken to the streets to celebrate the return of rain after months of wildfires left communities struggling with hazardous air pollution, poor visibility and respiratory illnesses.
In Palangka Raya, the capital of Central Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, firefighters were seen dancing, jumping into puddles and prostrating themselves in gratitude as rain fell on Wednesday, October 28. The downpour offered a welcome break after weeks of battling forest and land fires that had blanketed the city in thick smoke.
“We were overjoyed; every one of us volunteers was so happy that we prostrated ourselves in gratitude. Praise be to God that there was finally rain,” volunteer firefighter Lukman El Hakim told Agence France-Presse.
The relief extends beyond Central Kalimantan. Rainfall has also reached parts of South Kalimantan and South Sumatra, where prolonged dry weather and wildfires have disrupted daily life. In Palembang, residents shared videos of heavy rain washing over streets previously covered by haze, expressing relief after months of difficult conditions.
The wildfire crisis has had serious consequences for public health. In Palangka Raya, more than 11,000 people have received treatment for respiratory infections during the months-long emergency, while smoke from the fires has spread across national borders, affecting air quality in neighbouring Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Timor-Leste.
The scale of the fires has also placed enormous pressure on emergency workers. Indonesia’s disaster agency has deployed aircraft and helicopters for cloud seeding and water bombing across six provinces, while firefighters continue efforts to contain active blazes. At least 11 people have died fighting the fires, according to the latest reports.
Indonesia’s meteorological agency, BMKG, said the recent rain had begun to reduce concentrations of fine particulate matter known as PM2.5 in Palangka Raya. Although air quality remained unhealthy, officials reported a downward trend compared with the previous week, when readings were frequently classified as very unhealthy or hazardous.
However, authorities have warned that the crisis is not over. Forecasts indicate that dry weather could persist in some areas, creating conditions for further fires before the rainy season becomes firmly established. Officials are continuing cloud-seeding operations in the hope that sustained rainfall will penetrate the dry peatlands, where fires can smoulder below the surface and reignite.
Environmental experts have linked Indonesia’s recurring wildfires to land-clearing practices, including the use of fire to clear land for agriculture and commercial activities. The crisis has also renewed questions about corporate responsibility for environmental damage, an issue explored in TheDailyNewsHub’s earlier report on Indonesia’s haze crisis and corporate accountability. As authorities investigate suspected links between individuals, companies and the fires, concerns remain over the environmental and public health consequences of prolonged burning.
For residents who have spent months breathing polluted air, the rain has offered a moment of relief and hope. But with fires still threatening parts of the country, communities and emergency services face the continuing challenge of containing the blazes and preventing another surge in hazardous smoke.