Authorities in South Sumatra, Indonesia, held a public prayer gathering on Tuesday as wildfires continued to burn across central and western regions of the country. The event in Palembang, the provincial capital, brought together approximately 3,000 residents to perform "salat istisqa," an Islamic prayer for rain, as dense smoke from burning forests and peatlands reduced visibility in several cities. Motorists in the area were reported using headlights during daylight hours due to the thickness of the haze.
The prayer initiative follows a period of prolonged dry weather and an intensifying El Nino weather pattern. According to the Environment Ministry, South Sumatra currently holds the highest number of wildfire hot spots in Indonesia at 1,429. Data from the Forestry Ministry shows that nearly 940 square kilometers (363 square miles) of land burned across the country in July alone, with more than 20 square kilometers (8 square miles) of that total located within South Sumatra.
South Sumatra Governor Herman Deru stated that the spiritual gathering was intended to complement ongoing technical firefighting and drought-mitigation efforts. In addition to ground operations, Indonesia has deployed 30 aircraft for cloud-seeding and water-bombing in Kalimantan, along with 22 helicopters in Sumatra. Cloud-seeding involves dispersing salt particles into clouds to induce rainfall. Meanwhile, police have arrested 72 individuals suspected of starting fires, and four companies are under investigation for allegedly using fire to clear land.
For the local population, the environmental conditions disrupt daily life by interfering with land and air transportation. The practice of clearing land through fire, often used by plantation owners and traditional farmers as a low-cost method for agriculture, remains a primary driver of these events. While 72 people have been arrested, the scale of the fires—totaling 940 square kilometers nationwide in July—indicates a widespread challenge to public health and economic activity that persists throughout the dry season.
The government's response involves a significant allocation of state resources, including the operation of 52 specialized aircraft for fire suppression and weather modification. These operations aim to prevent further scorched peatlands, which are particularly prone to long-burning fires. The outcome of the current investigations into the four companies suspected of illegal land clearing will establish whether legal consequences will be applied to commercial entities. Future developments depend on the duration of the El Nino pattern and the effectiveness of cloud-seeding operations in bringing rain to the affected provinces.