The smog-addled city-state of Singapore got a breath of fresh air Monday when it woke up to blue skies, but neighboring Malaysia is still under a blanket of smoke caused by forest fires in Indonesia.
Slash-and-burn clearing of farm and forest along Indonesia's Sumatra island has sent a choking haze of smoke across the water to Singapore and Malaysia, causing the air pollution index in Singapore to reach record highs and prompting Malaysia to declare a state of emergency in two southern regions after the country's air pollution index exceeded 700. A reading of more than 300 is considered hazardous to human health.