More than 107,000 hectares have been burned across Indonesia as authorities race to contain wildfires that are sending thick smoke into neighbouring Malaysia and disrupting schools in several provinces.
Indonesia is battling widespread wildfires as a prolonged hot and dry season fuels blazes across large areas of the country.
Authorities have deployed aircraft for cloud seeding in an effort to produce rain and help firefighters contain the fires. Schools in some affected provinces have also suspended classes as thick haze spreads across communities.
Six provinces, including Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and Riau, are currently the focus of firefighting efforts.
The areas contain large stretches of peatland, which can burn for long periods during dry conditions.
Indonesia, along with other parts of South-East Asia, is experiencing an unusually intense dry season linked to a stronger El Niño climate pattern, sometimes referred to as “Godzilla” El Niño.
Residents in affected areas say the smoke has become increasingly difficult to escape.
Darwin Romy, an indigenous Dayak resident of Palangka Raya in Central Kalimantan, said he had been living with wildfires for more than a month.
“The smoke has become quite thick. When we step outside, our eyes start to sting,” he said.
He said flames had come close to residential areas while water supplies used for firefighting were beginning to run low.
In West Kalimantan, Pontianak authorities have moved classes online because of the worsening haze.
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The fires have also affected neighbouring Malaysia. The town of Serian in Sarawak recorded an air pollution reading of 195 on Wednesday, a level classified as unhealthy.
At least nine areas across Sarawak were reporting unhealthy pollution levels, according to Malaysian media.
Meanwhile, a fire at Mount Bromo National Park in East Java burned for almost a week, destroying about 550 hectares before being extinguished.
The popular tourist attraction has been closed since 8 August, while authorities investigate the cause and monitor new hotspots.
