Indonesia has received international help to combat forest and agricultural fires that have sent hazardous smoke to neighbouring countries, but a video shared on social media of a Malaysian aircraft extinguishing the blazes is old. The footage dates back to 2015 and depicts an aeroplane sent by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to aid with fires in the Indonesian city of Palembang, and the agency said in a statement that it has not deployed such aircraft for more recent containment efforts.
"A Malaysian aircraft carries 6,137 litres of water to extinguish forest and land fires in just 12 seconds," reads Indonesian text on an Instagram video shared August 25, 2026.
The video shows a small white-and-red aircraft using water from a river to put out nearby fires.
The post's caption identifies the plane as a Bombardier CL-415MP aircraft operated by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, also known as the Malaysia Coast Guard ( archived link).
"This type of aircraft was also deployed to help Indonesia tackle forest fires in Sumatra in 2015," the caption says.
"During this time operation, the aircraft is stationed at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport in Palembang," it adds, referring to the airport in the capital of Indonesia's South Sumatra province.
The video also circulated on TikTok and Instagram with a similar claim.
The posts spread as Indonesia battled for weeks to contain fires that have burned large swathes of the country's Borneo and Sumatra islands ( archived link).
Hazardous smoke from the fires has led to a spike in respiratory illnesses, forced schools to close and drifted into neighbouring countries including Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.
Nearly 300,000 hectares of land have burned so far this year, according to an independent estimate from the Nusantara Atlas portal.
Analysts interviewed by AFP said slash-and-burn land-clearing for agriculture has contributed to the damage, while climate change and the El Niño weather phenomenon have made it easier for fires to spread.
A Japanese ship arrived in West Kalimantan province on September 10 with three helicopters and 350 maritime and ground defence personnel to help with firefighting, Indonesian news outlet Tempo reported ( archived link).
Comments on social media suggest some users believed the circulating video shows a Malaysian aircraft extinguishing the blazes as well.
"Even the neighbouring country had to step in," one said.
However, the video shared online is old.
A combination of reverse image and keyword searches on Google found the same video posted on YouTube by Malaysia-based media outlet Air Times News Network on October 16, 2015 ( archived link).
A Malay-language caption over the clip says: "A firefighting operation in Palembang by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency".
The video's description reads in part: "During yesterday's fourth day of operation, a mission was carried out in which the agency's Bombardier aircraft dropped a total of 390,000 litres of water over a fire zone covering 60 square miles."
It also says the aircraft was a Bombardier CL-415, and that the footage was filmed from a helicopter.
AFP reported at the time that fires burning forests and agricultural lands also sent smoke to Malaysia and Singapore, creating tensions between Jakarta and its neighbours ( archived link).
The Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency confirmed on its official Facebook page that the footage depicts an event in Sumatra in 2015 ( archived link).
"For your information, Malaysian Maritime confirms that no agency-owned Bombardier CL-415MP aircraft are currently deployed or executing firefighting operations in Indonesia," the agency said in its August 26, 2026 statement.
"Instead, the operation of these air assets is currently focused on routine duties and monitoring the security of national waters".
Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yvonne Mewengkang told AFP on September 11 that the government had received a request for cooperation from the Malaysian government regarding cloud-seeding operations, but she said it would only concern areas near Malaysia.
"Coordination among relevant ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is ongoing to respond to Malaysia's request for assistance in preventing and combating forest fires in Sarawak, which borders Indonesia," Yvonne added.
AFP has previously debunked other misinformation related to forest fires in Indonesia.