Home / Environment / Australia Aids Indonesia in Monthslong Wildfire Fight
Australia Aids Indonesia in Monthslong Wildfire Fight
5 Nov
Summary
- Australia deploys aircraft to aid Indonesia's extensive wildfire containment.
- Over 400,000 respiratory infections reported due to fire and haze.
- A firefighting helicopter crashed, killing one crew member and injuring five.
Australia has announced it will provide aerial support to Indonesia's extensive wildfire containment efforts. Two aircraft from Australia's New South Wales Rural Fire Service are set to join waterbombing operations on Borneo island between November 6 and November 12, 2026. Indonesia has been contending with its most severe wildfires in over a decade, with vast areas of land impacted, primarily on the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua.
The severe fire and resulting haze have been linked to over 400,000 cases of acute respiratory infections across seven Indonesian provinces as of November 2, 2026. Despite significant efforts, including waterbombing and cloud seeding, controlling the fires remains a challenge. The Australian support includes a Large Air Tanker capable of dropping substantial amounts of water per flight.
Tragically, a waterbombing helicopter crashed in Central Kalimantan on Borneo island on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. The incident resulted in the death of one crew member and injured five others. Two remaining crew members have yet to be evacuated.
