South-east Asia choked in haze as Indonesia wildfires spread - Financial Times

For three months, fire‑fighter Andri Susanto and his crew have been battling intense blazes on the island of Borneo, part of Indonesia’s Kalimantan region. The fires have persisted despite repeated attempts to contain them, and the smoke they generate has drifted across national borders.

The resulting haze has enveloped large parts of South‑East Asia, reducing visibility and prompting health warnings in several countries. Urban centres in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand have reported elevated particulate matter levels, with some areas exceeding World Health Organization safety thresholds.

Air quality monitors in the affected capitals have recorded sharp spikes in fine particulate (PM2.5) concentrations, prompting authorities to advise residents to limit outdoor activities and to wear protective masks. Hospitals in the region have noted an uptick in patients seeking treatment for respiratory irritation and related ailments.

Regional governments have mobilised resources to address the crisis, including the deployment of aircraft for aerial water drops and the activation of emergency response teams. Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry has acknowledged the severity of the situation and indicated that additional firefighting assets are being directed to the worst‑affected zones.

The haze episode underscores the broader challenge of managing forest and peatland fires in Indonesia, which have historically contributed to seasonal air‑quality problems across the wider South‑East Asian region.