Updated

A forest fire on Indonesia's Bangka Belitung island, fueled by El Niño conditions, has razed nearly 300 homes and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate. Officials described the fire conditions as the worst in a decade, with wildlife also badly affected. The blaze began when residents spotted fire approaching their village on October 11, 2026, and initially tried to extinguish it themselves with portable water pumps before it grew out of control, part of a wider pattern of devastating fires and haze affecting the country.