Indonesia is experiencing one of its worst forest and land fire seasons. Across Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua, fires are burning through forests and peatlands, sending toxic haze across communities and national borders. Millions of people are facing the health consequences of prolonged smoke exposure, while schools, livelihoods and daily life are disrupted. Wildlife, too, is losing vital habitat, as fires threaten the animals that depend on these forests to survive.
Some official datasets and sources of environmental information have become harder to access. Meanwhile, satellite observations, cannot always tell us what is happening at every location, in real time. And when information is delayed, incomplete or difficult to find, the consequences are felt by people trying to decide whether it is safe to stay in their homes, how to protect their children from the haze, or whether a fire is getting closer.
A woman in Kalimantan recently told us that she learned a fire was affecting a neighbouring village through PetaBencana.id She had not seen the incident covered in the news. But because someone else had reported what they were seeing, she was able to see this information on the map and understand its proximity to her community. She was able to seal her house, move her children and obtain protective masks before conditions worsened.
This neighborhood observation did not go viral. It did not make the headlines. But it gave someone the information she needed to keep her family safe.
People living through a disaster are often the first to observe changing conditions. They see smoke rising, notice haze thickening and witness fires spreading. But this knowledge can remain invisible beyond their immediate communities unless there is a way to share it.
Disaster monitoring and warning systems need to incorporate this local knowledge. People should not have to wait for an incident to make the news before they can learn that danger is nearby. They need ways to share what they know, and everyone needs ways to access that knowledge.
This is the principle behind PetaBencana.id, a free, public platform for real-time disaster information. By making community reports accessible on a shared map, PetaBencana.id helps people see conditions beyond their immediate surroundings and make more informed decisions about their safety.
Information alone cannot stop a fire. But right now, when the fires are ablaze and spreading rapidly, access to timely, local observations can help people prepare, protect their families and look out for their neighbours.
If you see fire or haze, report it at PetaBencana.id. Your observation may help someone else recognise a risk and prepare before conditions worsen.
If you are in a safe location, please consider supporting our work to keep this public resource accessible.
In a crisis that crosses villages, islands and national borders, our ability to protect one another depends in part on our ability to share what we know.
Everyone deserves access to the information they need to stay safe.
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