Central Kalimantan Fires Blanket Roads and Schools in Haze

Thick haze enveloped roads, schools and homes in Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan as forest and peatland fires spread across Borneo, India Global Review reported on October 19, citing drone footage and statements from authorities.

Authorities reported 27,878 hotspots since January in a regency the account did not identify. It also put the area affected by firefighting operations at nearly 2,902 hectares; that figure was not explicitly described as the total area burned.

The report said smoke had reached neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore, and attributed the spread of fires to prolonged dry conditions and severe El Niño weather.