Kalimantan Tengah haze thickens, visibility in Kotim drops to 5 meters

Haze from forest and land fires in Kalimantan Tengah has grown thicker in recent days, with visibility in Kotawaringin Timur on Friday morning reported at just about five meters. Kotawaringin Timur Regent Halikinnor said the worsening haze was driven by new fire hotspots, smoke drifting in from other areas, and the peatland character of the terrain, which keeps releasing smoke after light rain. In Sampit, a new fire also broke out on Jalan Pramuka Gang Sahabat. In Palangka Raya, thick haze still covered the city on Saturday. The emergency response post recorded 6.952 karhutla incidents in Kalimantan Tengah through 23 October 2026, burning 20.108,18 hectares, including 957 incidents in Palangka Raya over 1.286,94 hectares. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin urged residents, especially vulnerable groups, to limit outdoor activity and wear KN95 masks.