Fires in Indonesia continue to cause smog and haze across the region, with air pollutants reaching hazardous levels overnight in Singapore. As of 5am on September 25th, the country’s pollutant levels were the highest measured to date in 2015. At these levels, the entire population is likely to be adversely affected, and officials have already closed all primary and secondary schools until the situation improves.
The sudden rise in poor air quality is likely occurring due to a shift in wind direction that is transporting smoke and haze from land and forest fires in South Sumatra, Indonesia. The District of Ogan Komering Ilir continues to lead in the number of active fire alerts, with 423 high-confidence hotspots in the last week. As WRI recently reported, Indonesia’s forest fires have hit their highest point in at least three years, most likely due to illegal burning on agricultural and peat lands. The country saw more than 13,000 fire alerts last week alone.