Photo gallery: Satellite views of smoke and fires in Indonesia, September-October 2015

Desdemona Despair

9 October 2015 (Desdemona Despair) – 2015 is likely to be among the worst years for forest fires on record. A lot of this destruction is caused by fires that are intentionally set to clear forests for agriculture. In Sumatra and southern Borneo, rainforest and peatlands are burned to make room for palm oil plantations. 

This happens every year, but after extended drought, forests and peatlands in Indonesia are exceptionally susceptible to wildfire. The result is that agricultural business-as-usual is creating a carbon disaster, as deep peat burns, releasing long-sequestered carbon back into the atmosphere.

These fires in Jambi province, seen on 5 September 2015, burned within well-defined rectangular grids, showing that these were agricultural fires intentionally set by growers. According to land-use maps published by Global Forest Watch, the fires are burning within a palm oil plantation. Smoke and Fires in Sumatra

22 September 2015

Smoke from burning rainforest darkens skies over Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, on 22 September 2015. Indonesia forest fires compilation

24 September 2015

Forest and peatland fires on the border of Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan, September 2015. This forest is orang-utan habitat. Indonesia forest fires compilation

4 October 2015

5 October 2015

Forest and peatland fires on the border of the palm oil concession, Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, September 2015. This forest is orang-utan habitat. Indonesia forest fires compilation

Orang-utans living in Kalimantan forest. Indonesia forest fires compilation