Volunteers Fight Indonesia's Peat Fires as Smoke Spreads

Experts say a very strong weather pattern, a "super El Niño", has made the drought worse. Peat is a soft soil made of partly rotten plants and wood, which builds up over thousands of years in wet swamps. Because it stores ancient carbon, burning peat releases huge amounts of greenhouse gases, so peatlands on fire are called "carbon bombs". However, much of Kalimantan's peatland has been drained for logging and plantations, such as palm oil, which has left it dry and easy to burn. Police have arrested 72 people suspected of starting fires, while a Dayak representative says Indigenous farmers are unfairly blamed.

The haze has reached Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, and in some places pollution has been almost 75 times higher than the level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Indonesia recorded more than 50,000 breathing infections linked to the fires in July and August, over 12,000 of them in children under five. Two volunteers have died, reportedly after their health got worse while fighting the fires. Peat fires are difficult to put out, because flames often return even after the ground is soaked. Nine orangutans have been moved to safety. The president has promised helicopters and water pumps, but heavy rain is not expected until November.