Environment · 2026-10-18 · Morning briefing
Indonesian fire haze triggers highest alert across Southeast Asia
Months-long wildfires in Indonesia, worsened by a severe 'super-El Nino' effect, have blanketed parts of Southeast Asia in toxic haze, forcing school closures and fueling a surge in respiratory conditions in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and East Timor.
From January to August, the fires consumed over 637,000 hectares, an area nine times the size of Singapore, according to the environmental group Auriga; a separate deforestation monitor puts the figure even higher at nearly 900,000 hectares. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre has activated its highest "Alert Level 3" for the region. On Saturday, air quality monitor IQAir ranked Singapore as the world's second-most polluted major city, with Kuala Lumpur third.
In response, Indonesia has attempted to induce rain by dispersing 2.4 tonnes of dry ice over South Sumatra. The crisis is set to be discussed at the next ASEAN summit, and Singapore has said it will issue warnings to seven Indonesian companies it identified as responsible for the fires.
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- Haze triggers highest-level alert in parts of Southeast Asia
- Indonesia fires trigger highest-level regional haze alert as pollution spreads across South-east Asia
- Indonesia Fires Trigger Highest ASEAN Haze Alert
- How haze from Indonesian fires impacts Southeast Asia
- Haze From Indonesia’s Wildfires Spreads Across Southeast Asia
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