Australia has deployed a military transport aircraft to help Indonesia tackle wildfires in Borneo that have caused toxic haze across the region, the two countries have said.
The months-long fires have engulfed large areas of land and generated air pollution that has harmed public health, drifted across borders and strained Indonesia’s relations with neighbouring countries.
The C-130 Hercules left Jakarta for East Kalimantan province on Thursday to join local water-bombing operations, Indonesia’s disaster agency chief Kristomei Sianturi said.
“Based on our monitoring and observations, as well as discussions with the Australian technical team, there are still many hotspots in the East Kalimantan region,” Sianturi said in a statement late on Thursday.
The aircraft can drop 15,000 litres of water per sortie, or just over 100,000 litres a day, according to a statement from the Australian embassy in Indonesia.
Australian Ambassador Rod Brazier described the two countries as “enduring friends”, recalling Indonesia’s support in fighting Australia’s devastating bushfires in 2020.
Australia is also sending a Cessna Citation aircraft to serve as a guide plane, along with 20 personnel, including pilots, flight crew and paramedics.
The air operation is scheduled to run for seven days, from November 6 to 12.
Deforestation monitor Nusantara Atlas estimates that the fires consumed more than 1.9 million hectares of land in the first nine months of the year.
Experts say much of the destruction is linked to slash-and-burn land-clearing practices, often associated with the expansion of timber, palm oil and mining operations.
More than 400,000 people in Indonesia have received treatment for acute respiratory ailments caused by the toxic haze, the health ministry said on Wednesday.
Japan also sent around 350 Self-Defense Forces personnel and three helicopters to support firefighting efforts in West Kalimantan in September.
