Toxic haze from Indonesian forest fires chokes Malaysian Borneo
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Smoke from forest and peatland fires burning across Indonesia has pushed air quality in parts of Malaysian Borneo to hazardous levels, triggering a surge in respiratory illness and forcing the cancellation of outdoor Independence Day celebrations. The smoke – drifting from fires in Kalimantan in the Indonesian portion of Borneo – has settled over the Malaysian state of Sarawak, which is located on the same island, for much of August.
Why It Matters
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Key Facts
- Fact 1: ‘Everything is covered in ash’: Indonesia wildfires leave people in crisis ‘We can’t breathe’: Indonesians battle wildfire haze Indonesia battles haze as wildfires rage across South Sumatra forests Governments brace for historic El Nino impacts on global weather extremes It is the region’s worst haze episode since 2015, when fires in Indonesia exposed tens of millions of people to toxic smoke and caused more than 500,000 people to suffer respiratory ailments.
- Fact 2: On Tuesday, six areas in Sarawak recorded hazardous air quality, with readings above 300 on Malaysia’s Air Pollutant Index.
- Fact 3: Anything above 100 is considered unhealthy.
- Fact 4: In Kuching, the state capital, the index hit 407, while in Serian, a town close to the Kalimantan border, it hit 408.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Smoke from forest and peatland fires burning across Indonesia has pushed air quality in parts of Malaysian Borneo to hazardous levels, triggering a surge in respiratory illness and forcing the cancellation of outdoor Independence Day celebrations. The smoke – drifting from fires in Kalimantan in the Indonesian portion of Borneo – has settled over the Malaysian state of Sarawak, which is located on the same island, for much of August.
It has also reached peninsular Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. ‘Everything is covered in ash’: Indonesia wildfires leave people in crisis ‘We can’t breathe’: Indonesians battle wildfire haze Indonesia battles haze as wildfires rage across South Sumatra forests Governments brace for historic El Nino impacts on global weather extremes It is the region’s worst haze episode since 2015, when fires in Indonesia exposed tens of millions of people to toxic smoke and caused more than 500,000 people to suffer respiratory ailments. On Tuesday, six areas in Sarawak recorded hazardous air quality, with readings above 300 on Malaysia’s Air Pollutant Index.
(Original synthesis pending human/AI review — generated by the stub provider by selecting real sentences from the source material, not by writing new analysis or commentary.)
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