Fires in Indonesian Borneo have burned tens of thousands of acres, with smoke drifting to Malaysia and putting Singapore on alert as a super 'El Niño' intensifies the blazes, according to the Guardian.
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Key facts
- Fires in Indonesia's Kalimantan have burned tens of thousands of acres, the Guardian reports.
- Smoke from the blazes has reached Malaysia and put Singapore on alert, according to the Guardian.
- A resident in Indonesian Borneo told the Guardian breathing outdoors feels 'like smoking a cigarette'.
- Visibility has dropped to as little as five metres in affected areas, the Guardian reports.
- The Guardian links the intensifying fires to a super 'El Niño'.
Wildfires in Indonesia’s Kalimantan region on the island of Borneo have burned through tens of thousands of acres, according to the Guardian, sending thick smoke across the region and beyond the country’s borders.
Suwadi, a resident of Indonesian Borneo, told the Guardian he can barely see five metres in front of him when he steps outside his home. Each breath, he said, feels “like smoking a cigarette.”
The Guardian reports that smoke from the fires has reached neighbouring Malaysia and has put Singapore on alert.
The Guardian links the intensifying blazes to a super ‘El Niño’. Further details on the scale of the response and the full extent of the fires were not available in the reporting reviewed.
Why it matters
Fires in Indonesia's Kalimantan are sending haze across national borders, according to the Guardian, affecting residents locally and prompting alerts in neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the fires burning?
The fires are burning in Indonesia's Kalimantan region on the island of Borneo, where they have ravaged tens of thousands of acres, according to the Guardian.
Which other countries are affected by the smoke?
According to the Guardian, the suffocating smoke has reached Malaysia and has put Singapore on alert.
Why are the fires getting worse?
The Guardian reports the blazes are intensifying amid a super 'El Niño' climate pattern.
Timeline
- ‘Like smoking a cigarette’: Indonesia chokes on haze as blazes intensify amid super ‘El Niño’
The Guardian World: In Indonesia’s Kalimantan, fires have ravaged tens of thousands of acres, with suffocating smoke reaching Malaysia and putting Singapore on alert Suwadi can barely see five metres in front of him when he steps outside his home in Indonesian Borneo. Each breath, he says, feels “li