In Pictures

Indonesia forest fires choke Southeast Asia

Toxic haze spreads across Indonesia and into neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore forcing schools to shut.

Smoke billows from forest fires in Kahayan Hilir, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, Wednesday, Sept.18, 2019. Forest fires have razed hundreds of thousands of hectares of land in Sumatra and Borneo isla — Indonesian authorities said hundreds of schools in hard-hit Riau province on Sumatra were shut, without providing a precise number, while about 1,300 were closed in Central Kalimantan province on Borneo. [Fauzy Chaniago/AP Photo]

Toxic haze from Indonesian forest fires closed thousands of schools across the country and in neighbouring Malaysia on Wednesday, while air quality worsened in Singapore just days before the city’s Formula One motor race.

Forest fires are blazing on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, with Jakarta deploying thousands of security forces and water-bombing aircraft to tackle them.

The Indonesian blazes are an annual problem, but this year’s are the worst since 2015 and have added to concerns about wildfire outbreaks worldwide exacerbating global warming.

The smog is also affecting endangered orangutans on Borneo, with dozens of the young apes at rescue centres contracting respiratory infections, according to the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation.

Borneo island is divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

In this photo released by Indonesian Presidential Secretariat, Indonesian President Joko Widodo walks on a burnt forest as firefighters are seen spraying water to extinguish the remaining fire in Pela — Indonesian President Joko Widodo walks in a burned forest as firefighters extinguish the remaining flames in Riau, Indonesia. [Laily Rachev, Indonesian Presidential Secretariat via AP]

Indonesian firemen spray water to extinguish fire on a peatland in Kampar, Riau province, Indonesia, 17 September 2019. Firefighters, military personnel and water-bombing helicopters have been deploye — The Indonesian government has insisted it is doing all it can to fight the fires. Widodo said nearly 6,000 troops had been sent to hotspots to help put them out. [EPA]

Motorists commute on a hazy day in Palembang on September 18, 2019. - Indonesia has arrested nearly 200 people over vast forest fires ripping across the archipelago, police said as toxic haze sends ai — Indonesia has arrested nearly 200 people over vast forest fires ripping across the archipelago, as toxic haze sends air quality levels plummeting and sparks flight cancellations. About 40 flights at three airports have been cancelled. [Adbul Qodir/AFP]

A tourist watches at Kuala Lumpur Tower as city stands shrouded with haze in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019. Indonesian forest fires spread health-damaging haze across the country a — Kuala Lumpur's famed Petronas Twin Towers were barely visible through the smog. [Vincent Thian/AP Photo]

The city is shrouded with haze in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019. Indonesian forest fires spread health-damaging haze across the country and into neighboring Malaysia and Singapore. — Air quality deteriorated to 'very unhealthy' levels on an official index in many parts of peninsular Malaysia. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) [The Associated Press]

Joshua paul/Al Jazeera — Malaysian authorities used cloud seeding on Monday in an attempt to clear the thick haze engulfing the nation's capital. [Joshua Paul/Al Jazeera]

florence looi/al jazeera — Cloud seeding is only a temporary solution and it works only when there is enough cloud cover to produce rain. [Florence Looi/Al Jazeera]

A fireman inspects burned land in Kampar, Riau province, Indonesia, 10 September 2019. According to media reports, Indonesian authorities prepares for more land fires in Sumatra and Borneo island that — On Borneo island pollution levels were 'hazardous', according to the Indonesian environment ministry data. [EPA]

Smoke billows during a land fire in Musi Banyuasin near Palembang, South Sumatra province, Indonesia, August 14, 2019 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Nathan/ via REUTERS — Indonesia's meteorology, climate and geophysics agency said on Wednesday that over 1,000 hotspots - areas of intense heat detected by satellite that indicate a likely fire - had been sighted, most of them on Sumatra. [Antara Foto/Nathan via Reuters]