<![CDATA[Forest and land fires constitute a major environmental challenge, with significant implications for vegetation degradation, air pollution, public health, and ecosystem stability. This issue has become particularly concerning in East Halmahera Regency, North Maluku, Indonesia, following the fires affecting the Mount Wato-Wato area in Maba District, where more than 100 hectares of land were reportedly burned. Limited accessibility, inadequate water availability, and the proximity of affected areas to water catchment zones have increased the complexity of fire suppression and the potential for environmental damage. This study aims to examine the characteristics of forest and land fire incidents, identify the contributing climatic and anthropogenic factors, and assess their potential environmental implications, particularly for vegetation and water resources in East Halmahera. A descriptive qualitative approach supported by secondary quantitative data was employed. Data were collected through document analysis and information tracing from reports issued by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), regional disaster management agencies (BPBD), relevant government institutions, and verifiable mass media reports. The analytical framework integrates fire occurrence information, meteorological conditions, human activities, and environmental characteristics to examine the factors associated with fire occurrence and propagation. The findings indicate that fire incidents during August–September 2026 were associated with a combination of dry atmospheric conditions, the influence of very strong El Niño conditions, and human activities, including suspected uncontrolled land-clearing practices. Strong winds further contributed to the potential expansion of burned areas. Vegetation loss also presents environmental risks through increased soil erosion, sedimentation, and potential deterioration of water quality in affected catchment areas. These findings highlight the importance of an integrated environmental risk management framework that combines weather-based early warning systems, stricter supervision of land-clearing activities, protection of water catchment areas, interagency coordination, and enhanced firefighting capacity, particularly in geographically inaccessible locations. This study contributes to understanding the interaction between climatic conditions, human activities, and environmental vulnerability in managing forest and land fire risks in small-island and archipelagic regions.]]>
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