Indonesian wildfires push air quality to hazardous levels across region
Wildfires in Indonesia have produced hazardous haze affecting air quality in Indonesia and neighbouring countries, prompting health warnings and school closures.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Wildfires burning across Indonesia have pushed air quality to hazardous levels, forcing thousands of schools to close and affecting millions of people across the region. The fires are concentrated in Sumatra and Kalimantan, with the worst conditions reported in Kalimantan, where air quality readings have exceeded 600 and at times topped 800. For context, anything above 100 is considered unhealthy.
The Indonesian Health Ministry has recorded a sharp rise in respiratory illnesses between July and August, with more than 50,000 cases reported. Over 12,000 of those cases involve children under the age of five. The poor air quality has also disrupted daily life, with social media posts showing thick smog limiting visibility in several locations across the islands. Flights have been redirected or delayed as a result.
The haze has spread beyond Indonesia's borders, reaching as far as Manila in the Philippines and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, where authorities have activated emergency response plans. In Indonesia, around 1.4 million students have been switched to online learning because of the dangerous conditions.
The government has stepped up efforts to contain the fires, using water bombing from helicopters and cloud seeding to trigger rainfall. However, officials say they face challenges due to limited access to clean water and a lack of clouds in some areas, which makes it difficult to induce rain.
The fires come amid a powerful El Niño, which is currently running at 2.6 degrees above average and is expected to peak in November at four degrees above average, potentially making it a record-breaking event with significant weather impacts across the globe.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News |
|---|---|
| Air quality readings in parts of Kalimantan exceeded 600 and occasionally reached 800, well above the unhealthy threshold of 100. | |
| Around 1.4 million students were switched to online learning due to poor air quality. | |
| The Health Ministry recorded over 50,000 respiratory illness cases from July to August, including more than 12,000 in children under five. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel focused on the severity of the air quality crisis, the health impact on vulnerable groups, and the government's response. It highlighted the regional spread of the haze and the challenges faced in firefighting efforts, while also linking the fires to the broader El Niño context.
- “And some parts are recording numbers as high as 600, and sometimes at some point during the day, over 800.”
- “Around 1.4 million students have been switched to online learning due to the poor air quality.”
- “the Health Ministry says this, they have recorded a rising number of respiratory illnesses throughout July to August with more than 50,000 cases.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.