#9Culture
Indonesian Wildfires Send Hazardous Haze Across Singapore and Malaysia
Fires in Indonesia have brought hazardous air, school closures, and diplomatic strain since August.
3 Nov 2026, 06:29 · All sides · Written by Grok
15 sources · 4 countries🇬🇧 🇸🇬 🇺🇸 🇶🇦
- Since around August 2026, wildfires on peatlands and plantations in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua have sent smoke across the region.
- A strong El Niño has caused a long drought that has made the fires worse.
- The haze has brought hazardous air to Singapore and Malaysia, school closures in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia, flight disruptions, and diplomatic tension.
How the views differ
Neighbor-state officials and accountability advocates
Supporters say a dry year does not explain the haze by itself.
They argue that slash-and-burn on plantations, often linked to palm oil, plus weak enforcement, is what turns drought into smoke over other countries.
They want prevention, shared evidence, and legal pressure that can follow polluters across the border.
- straitstimes.com (Ind.)
- @usprotec (X)
- aljazeera.com (St.)
- mfa.gov.sg (St.)
- bbc.co.uk (St.)
- @StratFaultLine (X)
- reuters.com (Ind.)
- mha.gov.sg (St.)
Indonesian government narrative
Officials say the drought is beyond full human control, and that Indonesians are living in the same smoke.
They point to a huge domestic response — people, planes, water drops, and cloud-seeding — and say neighbors who complain are skipping that effort.
They also say that in clear years Indonesian forests send oxygen to Singapore and Malaysia.
- asiaone.com (Ind.)
- reuters.com (Ind.)
- straitstimes.com (Ind.)
- @RealBRICSnews (X)
- “Smoke crosses the border. So do the dependencies.” — @StratFaultLine Open on X ↗
The smoke is from wildfires on peatlands and plantations in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua, during a strong El Niño drought. That is what BBC and Reuters report, and it matches what both governments are responding to. Hazardous air, school closures, flight disruptions, and more than 283,000 respiratory cases in seven Indonesian provinces by mid-October are reported figures. Drought made the land easier to burn.
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- August 2026
Wildfires begin on peatlands and plantations in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua.
- October 13, 2026
President Prabowo orders additional resources to fight wildfires.
Coverage
15 sources · 4 countries
- Official 1
- State-funded 6
- Independent 5
- X / on the ground 3
GBSGUSQA
All sources
- Reuters (independent)By mid-October, seven Indonesian provinces had reported more than 283,000 respiratory illness cases, more than double earlier figures.State-funded · United Kingdom
- BBC News (independent)Singapore has investigated 10 Singapore-registered companies and issued preventive notices to 10 Indonesia-linked firms under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.State-funded · United Kingdom
- mfa.gov.sgIn late October 2026, Singapore and Indonesia agreed to a joint task force on information sharing, enforcement, and company accountability, and Indonesia welcomed in principle Singapore’s offer of firefighting and cloud-seeding help.Official · Singapore
- syndication.washingtonpost.comIndonesia has deployed tens of thousands of personnel and aircraft for water-bombing and cloud-seeding, and rain is expected to ease conditions by November.Independent · United States
- The Straits Times (independent/local)Singapore’s haze law is being used against firms with a Singapore link, even though the fires are in Indonesia.State-funded · Singapore
- @usprotecPlantations sit inside Indonesia, so only Indonesian authorities can arrest people on that land.X / on the ground
- Al Jazeera (independent)Calls for legal action against polluters have grown as the smoke has worsened.State-funded · Qatar
- @StratFaultLine“Smoke crosses the border. So do the dependencies.” — Strategic FaultLine (@StratFaultLine)X / on the ground
- Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs / MFA (official)Sources: BBC News ; Reuters ; The Straits Times ; Singapore Ministry of Home AffairsState-funded · Singapore
- SourcesThe government has called the fires a natural phenomenon tied to drought.Independent
- SourcesPresident Prabowo ordered more resources as anger over the haze grew.Independent · United Kingdom
- SourcesIndonesia welcomed, in principle, offers of help from Singapore and Malaysia.Independent · Singapore
- @RealBRICSnewsIndonesian deaths and the scale of the deployment are cited as proof the country is suffering, not only exporting smoke.X / on the ground
- bbc.co.ukThe 2026 Southeast Asian haze crisis, ongoing since around August 2026, stems from wildfires (primarily on peatlands and plantations in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua, Indonesia) exacerbated by a strong El Niño causing prolonged drought; it has caused hazardous air quality in Singapore and Malaysia, school closures in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia, spikes in respiratory illnesses (e.g., over 283,000 cases in seven Indonesian provinces by mid-October, more than double earlier figures), flight disruptions, and diplomatic tensions.State-funded · United Kingdom
- reuters.comSingapore and Indonesia agreed in late October 2026 to form a joint task force for information sharing, enforcement, and holding companies accountable; Singapore offered firefighting/cloud-seeding assistance, which Indonesia welcomed in principle.Independent · United Kingdom