Four killed battling Indonesia fires as toxic haze cloaks region

Four people died on Indonesia's Java island fighting the blazes that have sent toxic smoke across southeast Asia, closed schools and fuelled a surge of respiratory complaints, authorities said Friday.

The impact of the months-long fires has also prompted Singapore's leader to vow legal action against any companies responsible for the blazes that have made regional air quality among the world's worst.

Singapore again topped IQAir's live ranking of the world's most polluted major cities on Friday, with Kuala Lumpur second and Jakarta eighth.

"Where warranted, we will take action under Singapore's Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, and also explore joint action with other countries," said Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, without giving further details.

The law allows authorities to target companies whose activities overseas cause or contribute to unhealthy haze levels in Singapore

Legal experts have cautioned that pursuing companies linked to the smoke is challenging, with investigations reliant on cooperation from foreign authorities.

Singapore has no plantations or forests of its own, but several companies with concessions in Indonesia are reportedly based in the city-state.

'Cannot control the weather'

Singapore's investigations into four Indonesian companies over their alleged role in the 2015 haze crisis remain open, a case that strained relations with Jakarta at the time.

An official at Indonesia's national police investigations agency on Wednesday said it was probing companies responsible for the fires, but did not give specific names.

Indonesia experiences wildfires regularly during its dry season, but this year the blazes have been especially severe because a strong El Nino has brought drought.

While drought contributes to the fires, experts say deforestation and drying of peatlands has damaged previously fire-resistant landscapes.

"We cannot control the weather or the winds, nor can we directly control what happens beyond our borders," said Singapore leader Wong.

"But we will do everything we can to protect Singaporeans, while working with our neighbours to address the underlying causes of the haze."

On Friday, the city-state's air pollution surged to around 251 on IQAir's Air Quality Index level into very unhealthy levels at around 0400 GMT.

Under the Swiss-based company's system, readings of 151-200 are considered unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy and above 300 hazardous.

A local Singaporean tour guide, who asked AFP not to use his name, said "You can't see much from Singapore's famous landmarks."

"Usually I can see as far as the national stadium. Today we can't see anything," he added.
The smoke is a direct consequence of the fires, which four people lost their lives battling in East Java's Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park on Thursday, Indonesia's forestry ministry said.

Two others suffered serious burns and were receiving further medical treatment.
"This incident serves as a reminder that forest and land fire extinguishing is a high-risk operation," it said, adding that personnel safety remained a primary concern.

The forestry department in the same statement said there was a significant jump in hotspots in several areas in six "priority provinces" where 615 so-called hotspots were detected.

A hotspot is a location where a satellite detects an unusually high temperature, indicating a potential fire or other strong heat source.

'Shortness of breath'

In Indonesia's Palangkaraya, a city in central Kalimantan, air pollution levels hovered in the hazardous zone above 300 on Friday, according to IQAir.

But many residents did not wear face masks, and stall owners went about their business as usual, but the ongoing haze had an impact.

"It leads to shortness of breath, and in terms of business, there's an impact," said Syehan, 43, who goes by a single name like many Indonesians.

"People travelled from afar to go to the market to purchase staple food. Nowadays, they don't go to the market anymore," Syehan said.

The haze has also affected regional aviation in Indonesia.
Since the haze first hit on August 11, more than 2,020 flights were affected, civil aviation chief Lukman F. Laisa said.

Of these, 1,067 were cancelled, 919 flights were delayed and and 18 other flights were diverted to other airports, Lukman said in a statement shared om Friday.

Agence France-Presse