Unbreathable air, unstoppable fog and fires… South-East Asia in the grip of flames

The situation is more than critical in Southeast Asia. Indonesia is facing violent forest fires which have partly ravaged the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Papua, causing thick toxic smoke which widely crosses the borders.

Four men died battling wildfires in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, Indonesia on Thursday, the country's Forestry Ministry reported. They were trapped in the flames. Two other people were seriously burned.

Toxic fog

Toxic fumes from fires in Indonesia spread across Southeast Asia have triggered the maximum alert level for air quality in part of that region, according to the weather center of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

The months-long episode of toxic fog has closed schools, caused a surge in respiratory problems and severely limited outdoor activities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and East Timor, leading to growing frustrations over the inability to control the situation. “This situation must end,” Zul Hafiz, a 39-year-old teacher who was cycling from the Malaysian city of Shah Alam to the capital Kuala Lumpur, said on Saturday, calling on ASEAN to act.

Dry ice to clear the fog

The Asean Specialized Meteorological Center (ASMC) of this organization bringing together 11 countries indicated in a notice published on its website Friday that it had activated “alert level 3 for the southern Asean region”, the highest of the four-level alert system, without specifying the countries concerned.

Indonesia said Saturday it was using dry ice - solid carbon dioxide - in the skies above one of South Sumatra province's main airports to try to dispel toxic fog. A total of 2.4 tons of the product were released by plane, according to the country's national disaster risk reduction agency.

“Smoke not only reduces visibility and disrupts flight operations, it also affects the health of residents,” the agency warned. Toxic fog is disrupting life across Southeast Asia, sparking new calls for action from residents, including in Kuala Lumpur.

Anger of Malaysia

“It’s a bit unfair for Malaysia because of the irresponsible behavior of our neighboring country,” Indonesia, said Khairul Azhar, a 33-year-old bank employee. “This disrupts our weekend routine, not only for us, but for many Malaysians,” he added. Singapore on Friday denounced seven Indonesian companies as responsible for the fires, while warning that the worst could still be to come.