Before the flames, there were sounds. The rustling of leaves, the calls of birds, monkeys moving through the trees, and animals making their way through the vegetation. Now, all that can be heard is the deafening silence left behind by all the life that was lost there.
Indonesia has been facing some of the most severe consequences of El Niño in recent months. The country is being suffocated by wildfire smoke — and has already recorded more than 19.7 million tons of CO2 released between September 1 and September 7, according to Fire Emissions Watch, a platform developed by the European Union’s Copernicus climate monitoring service.
WHY is indonesia burning?
Indonesia’s fires are not simply the result of heat and dry weather. Behind the smoke lies a complex combination of deforestation, agricultural expansion, and local practices that have transformed large parts of the country into highly flammable landscapes.
As demand increases, so does the need to occupy new areas for exploitation, with forests becoming the main targets of this process. This is especially true for the expansion of agricultural land and the cultivation of commodities such as palm oil, Indonesia’s largest export.
Palm oil plantations frequently rely on slash-and-burn methods to clear tropical forests, contributing to deforestation, habitat loss for endangered species, and the current toxic smoke crisis affecting Southeast Asia.
In 2018–2022, deforestation for industrial palm oil averaged 32,406 hectares per year — only 18% of its peak a decade earlier, between 2008 and 2012, according to a study by Trase.
Climate conditions also contribute to the intensity of the fires. During prolonged dry periods, especially in years influenced by the El Niño phenomenon, atmospheric conditions drastically reduce rainfall across Southeast Asia, creating periods of severe drought and extreme heat.
Hot and dry weather, combined with strong winds, can turn small fires used to clear land for cultivation into major disasters. And when fire takes over this region, it is not only vegetation that is lost, but also habitats, food sources, and often the only place the animals living there have ever known as home.
THE SPECIES CAUGHT IN THE FIRE
As the flames spread through Indonesia’s forests, the animals’ options disappear along with the trees. Some try to escape to areas that remain intact, while others become trapped in the fire or overwhelmed by suffocating smoke.
Among the main victims are orangutans, found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. These animals are known as the “gardeners of the forest” because they consume a wide variety of fruits and disperse seeds over long distances as they travel. Without them, the structure of tropical forests would be severely altered, affecting the region’s entire flora and fauna.
When large areas of vegetation are destroyed, orangutans lose not only their homes, but also the trees and fruits they depend on for survival.
Fires also threaten other species of Indonesian wildlife, such as the Sumatran elephant and the Sumatran tiger. The tiger, for example, sits at the top of the food chain and is the main predator on Sumatra. “An apex predator keeps its various prey species at controlled levels, preventing any one species from becoming dominant. This, in turn, affects the diversity and health of plants in the forest,” explains Chela Powell, RER’s Restoration Manager. Without these animals, the ecosystem can collapse.
The destruction of forests reduces the territory available to these animals and may force them to travel greater distances in search of food. In some cases, this brings them closer to plantations and inhabited areas, creating situations of conflict between wildlife and humans.
An animal may escape the flames, but still face an even greater problem: finding a place to live when its forest no longer exists.
WHEN THE FIRE IS OVER, THE DAMAGE REMAINS
When the fire finally goes out and all that remains are the ashes of lives that once existed there, everything is far from returning to normal.
For the survivors, new challenges emerge: finding food, shelter, and a territory where they can continue to live. Trees destroyed by fire can take decades to recover, while some areas may never return to the way they were before.
The loss of these habitats changes the entire dynamics of the ecosystem, affecting the food chain as a whole and directly disrupting the reproduction of new generations. Reduced territories also have a direct impact on species that need large areas to survive and thrive.
There is also a less visible impact: the difficulty of rebuilding entire populations. Even if some animals manage to escape the fire, the reduction of their territory can make it harder for individuals to encounter one another and, consequently, reproduce. When this happens repeatedly, fires can contribute to the decline of species that are already facing other threats, such as hunting, deforestation, and wildlife trafficking.
Who is left when the fire is gone?
When the fire finally disappears, the silence left behind in the forest is almost as striking as the flames that destroyed it. What was once an environment filled with sounds, movement, and life can become a landscape marked by burned trees, exposed soil, and animals searching for a new place to survive. But among the destroyed areas, there is also an attempt to begin again.
In different parts of Indonesia, researchers, environmental organizations such as YIARI (Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia) and the BOS Foundation (Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation), veterinarians, and local communities are working to rescue animals, restore degraded areas, and protect the fragments of forest that still remain.
Rehabilitation centers receive animals injured or displaced by the fires, while conservation projects seek to return species to the wild when safe conditions are available.
Still, protecting Indonesia’s wildlife requires more than responding to fires. New fires must be prevented, and habitats must be protected before they disappear. This means strengthening enforcement, protecting forests, and encouraging more sustainable agricultural practices.
There is also a responsibility that extends beyond Indonesia’s borders. Many of the products associated with agricultural expansion reach international markets, connecting the choices of consumers, companies, and governments to the reality of these forests.
Conservation, therefore, does not depend only on those who live near affected areas, but also on decisions made far beyond them. Because when the fire is gone, the question is no longer only how many animals survived, but whether they will still have a forest to return to.
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The article above was edited by Elisa Nuñez.
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