Indonesia is choking under a thick blanket of smoke from forest and peatland fires, and the health toll is climbing fast. The Health Ministry says it recorded 283,270 acute respiratory infection cases between August 18 and October 13, 2026, spread across seven provinces and 63 districts and cities. South Kalimantan has the most cases at 74,636, followed closely by South Sumatra with 74,458, and the ministry says about 3,897 new cases were logged on October 13 alone. Footage from Central Kalimantan shows orange-brown skies, drowned-out daylight and sharply reduced visibility, scenes that media outlets have compared to the post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max. The ministry also reports hazardous air quality in 12 districts across Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Jambi, South Sumatra and Riau.

Officials say haze from the fires carries PM2.5 fine particles along with carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and toxic organic compounds, which can trigger coughing, shortness of breath, a runny nose and a sore throat, and can worsen asthma and chronic lung disease. Infants, toddlers, pregnant women, older adults and people with lung conditions are considered most at risk, and 63,711 of the recorded cases involve children under five. The government has responded by deploying more than 2,000 medical and health workers, setting up 360 referral hospitals and 87 air-quality testing labs, and distributing masks and oxygen equipment to affected areas. Firefighting is still under way, with dozens of aircraft deployed, and police have named nine palm oil companies as suspects in the fire investigations. With peatland fires notoriously hard to put out, the big question now is how long the smoke will hang over millions of people.