Severe haze from Indonesian fires forces school closures in East Timor and darkens regional skies
Persistent smoke from months-long Indonesian wildfires has turned skies orange in parts of the country and prompted a three-day school shutdown in East Timor.
Monitoring data place Kuala Lumpur at the top of the most polluted major cities list, followed by Singapore, with Indonesia's Medan and Jakarta also ranking high. Ongoing fires across Sumatra, Borneo and Papua have generated smoke that turned Palangkaraya's sky orange and left residents like motorbike driver Heri coughing and experiencing eye irritation despite wearing masks. East Timor's capital Dili saw a yellow-tinged sky, leading the government to close schools for three days, a decision praised by parents such as midwife Sonya da Costa Soares.
The haze, intensified by a strong El Niño-driven drought, has spread to Malaysia, the Philippines and other neighboring nations. Indonesia has mobilised tens of thousands of firefighters and announced a dry-ice seeding operation in South Sumatra, while experts note that peatland deforestation makes the fires especially hard to extinguish. NGOs such as Save the Children urge regional leaders to act urgently, citing the severe health threats to children.
Why it matters
The haze threatens public health across multiple countries and highlights the environmental impact of unchecked fires and peatland loss.
How this story developed
- Sep 27 Sumatra forest fires blamed for worsening haze over Johor and nearby regions
- Sep 28 A coalition of civil society and indigenous groups has filed a class-action lawsuit accusing the Indonesian government of failing to prevent massive forest and peatland fires in West Kalimantan.
- Oct 5 The Department of Environment reported that Malaysia contributed only about 3% of fire hotspots detected by satellite in southern Southeast Asia, with most occurring in Indonesia's Kalimantan and Sumatra.
- Oct 7 All five regions of Singapore recorded unhealthy air quality on Thursday, with the western area posting a 24-hour PSI of 161.
- Oct 10 Kuala Lumpur and Singapore now record AQI levels that place them among the world’s most polluted major cities.
- Oct 10 The class‑action suit moved to a hearing in Pontianak, where no defendants were present.
- Oct 12 Malaysia's foreign minister said he will raise the transboundary haze problem at the upcoming ASEAN foreign ministers gathering, urging stronger regional measures.
- Oct 13 Updated satellite data reveal further growth in Sumatra's fire hotspots.
- Oct 13 Deputy Minister Syed Ibrahim said evidentiary gaps hinder legal action against overseas firms.
- Oct 15 Singapore’s health ministry announced subsidies limiting out‑of‑pocket costs for haze‑related illnesses.
- Oct 15 PM2.5 peaked at 288, the highest in a decade, and mask shortages emerged.
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