Summary

  • Indonesia is battling massive wildfires, some of which have been burning for weeks

  • Haze from the fires in Indonesia has been reported across the region - including in Malaysia and in the Philippines

  • Millions of people in Sumatra and Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of Borneo island, have been exposed to toxic haze from the fires

  • Thousands of people have been admitted to hospital with respiratory infections

  • Cloud-seeding and firefighting aircraft operations have been complicated by the thick haze, which is blanketing parts of the country

  • Tens of thousands of officers have been deployed to guard areas and prevent new fires, which are also threatening wildlife

Live Reporting

Edited by Joel Guinto, with Quinawaty Pasaribu in Kalimantan, Liza Tambunan in Jakarta and Virma Simonette Rivera in Manila

  1. Toxic air extends to Malaysia, Philippines

    Quinawaty Pasaribu
    Reporting from Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan

    Aerial view of Kuching, capital city of Malaysia's Sarawak shrouded in hazeGetty Images

    Haze clouds an aerial view of Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak

    As over 50,000 people are hospitalised for respiratory infections in Indonesia, health alerts have also been raised in neighbouring countries where haze has been detected.

    In Sarawak, Malaysia's side of Borneo Island, the Air Pollution Index (IPI) in several areas has been "unhealthy".

    Authorities suspended face-to-face classes in Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, and Betong, as day by day, the smoke from Kalimantan is getting thicker.

    Sarawak resident Muhammad Fazli Bendaud says he is worried that the haze is "getting stronger."

  2. BBC team arrives in island shrouded in wildfire haze

    Quinawaty Pasaribu
    Reporting from Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan

    A white van druving on a dark and hazy road in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan Indonesia

    I landed in Banjarmasin at 21:00 local time last night from Jakarta. At first, there was no obvious sign of haze along the road from Syamsudin Noor Airport. But about 3km from the airport, a thin layer of smoke haze became faintly visible, hanging over the streets.

    According to IQAir, the air quality in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, last night was categorized as "unhealthy for sensitive groups." Locals told me that just a week earlier, dense haze had engulfed the airport area, forcing at least nine flights to be delayed. The smoke was caused by peatland fires located not far from the airport.

    Despite the worsening air quality, schools remain open and classes continue as normal. No policies have been introduced to shift students to remote or online learning.The broader picture across Kalimantan shows the scale of the problem.

    The highest number of hotspots has been detected in Central Kalimantan, with 8,572 hotspots. West Kalimantan ranks second with 7,617 hotspots, while South Kalimantan is third with 1,450 hotspots.

    The parking lot of Banjarmasin airport in South Kalimantan

  3. Massive wildfires have been burning for weeks in Indonesia

    Here are scenes from Kalimantan, where some fires have been burning for weeks, blanketing the region and surrounding areas in thick haze.

    Yellow flames illuminate a hilltop in Kalimantan, Indonesia that is being consumed by fire.Getty Images
    Silhouette of a man attempting to douse Indonesia wildfires with watergetty
    Water is dropped from a helicopter onto a burning forest in IndonesiaGetty Images
    Firefighters walk on a parched forest floor consumed by wildfires in IndonesiaGetty Images
    A city in Kalimantan, Indonesia is almost shrouded entirely in hazeGetty Images

  4. Why do wildfires keep happening in Indonesia?

    Liza Tambunan
    Jakarta Correspondent

    During Indonesia’s dry season from July to October, farmers frequently use fire to clear land for plantations of palm oil, as well as pulp and paper. It is a cheap way to access land.

    Due to dry conditions, these fires often spread uncontrollably, including into protected forests and peatlands, largely across Kalimantan and Sumatra.

    This method to clear land persists even though opening land by burning is outlawed in Indonesia.

    The fires particularly intensify during El Nino dry spell and this year, a super El-Nino has exacerbated the disaster.

    Indonesia's government has acknowledged that the fires are largely deliberately set, either by individuals or corporations. President Prabowo Subianto recently said he would take strict action against the culprits.

  5. Haze from wildfires threaten millions in Indonesia

    Firefighter wearing an orange suit and a mask stand in front of burning grass in IndonesiaGetty Images

    For weeks, Indonesia has been battling wildfires that have left large swathes of the country choking in a toxic haze.

    Millions of people in Sumatra and Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo island, have been exposed to the noxious air, with thousands of people already admitted to hospital with respiratory infections.

    And haze from these spots has spread as far as neighbouring nations like Malaysia and the Philippines.

    Today, we'll be bringing you updates from the ground on how the haze has disrupted daily life in some of South East Asia's largest and most densely populated regions - stay with us.