Amidst escalating wildfires that have engulfed over 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of land, Indonesian authorities are racing against time to contain the blazes, which have resulted in the closure of dozens of schools for a second consecutive day. The fires, mostly prevalent in six provinces - Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra on Sumatra island, as well as West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan on Borneo island, have led to the deployment of nearly 50,000 firefighters. The archipelago's dry conditions, exacerbated by El Niño, have increased the risk of wildfires. To combat this, Indonesian officials are resorting to cloud seeding, spraying chemicals like silver iodide and salt into clouds in an attempt to induce rainfall. However, finding suitable rain clouds remains a challenge. Meanwhile, firefighters continue their efforts to extinguish the remnants of fires, such as the blaze at Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java province that has destroyed approximately 2,200 acres of land since its start nine days ago. As of Tuesday, more than 150 personnel and over a dozen aircraft are involved in cloud-seeding efforts across Indonesia, along with 43 helicopters assisting ground firefighters. The wildfires have affected over 264,000 hectares (107,000 hectares) of land from January to June, marking a staggering 110% increase compared to the same period in 2023 when El Niño last impacted Indonesia.