World's Oldest Rainforests Burn as Indonesia Spreads Haze

The financial benefit from the fires may be $856 a hectare for farmer group organizers, village heads and land claimants, Herry Purnomo, a forestry scientist for the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research, said in a report last month. They get thousands of dollars more from planting palm over the years. “Many players benefit enormously from fire,” Purnomo said. “These players wear multiple hats, e.g. farmers, politicians, businessmen, government officers.”