El Niño Worsens Peat Fire That Destroys Nearly 300 Homes in Sumatra

An El Niño-fuelled peat fire destroyed nearly 300 homes in Bangka Belitung, Sumatra, forcing almost 1,000 to flee. South Bangka chief Riza Herdavid said wind pushed smouldering peat — plant-rich soil that burns slowly underground — into the settlement after residents with portable pumps could not stop it. The village was built on former peatland in a protected area.