Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan province, experienced particularly severe conditions, with yellow and orange skies and visibility falling to a few dozen metres. Residents faced hazardous concentrations of airborne particles as fires continued burning across extensive forest and plantation areas.
East Timor suspended classroom teaching from October 15 to 17 after its National Directorate of Meteorology and Geophysics warned of deteriorating air quality linked to smoke transported from neighbouring territories. The government said the precautionary decision was intended to protect pupils, teachers and other education personnel.
The suspension covers public, private and cooperative schools within the national education system, including preschool, primary, secondary and vocational institutions. Schools have been instructed to provide assignments for pupils studying at home and prepare arrangements to recover interrupted teaching.
Authorities also urged families to keep children indoors and advised residents to wear protective masks when travelling outside. Dili, the capital, remained covered by yellowish haze, although people continued commuting and conducting everyday activities.
Indonesia’s wildfire emergency has spread pollution across Southeast Asia, affecting Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and East Timor. Air quality readings have deteriorated substantially, prompting health warnings and restrictions on outdoor activities in several affected areas.
Singapore recorded exceptionally high pollution on Wednesday, with one-hour concentrations of fine particulate matter reaching 284 micrograms per cubic metre in its western districts. The National Environment Agency classified the reading within its highest pollution category for the current haze episode.
Malaysia has also closed schools in affected states and territories as smoke drifting across national boundaries threatens public health. Kuala Lumpur and Singapore ranked among the world’s most polluted major cities on Thursday, according to air quality monitoring measurements.
Indonesia’s authorities have intensified firefighting operations, deploying more than 69,000 personnel to combat blazes across vulnerable provinces. The emergency response includes ground crews, military support, water bombing and efforts to stimulate rainfall over burning areas.
The government has also tested unconventional fire suppression techniques, including dry ice dispersal, as persistent drought complicates conventional firefighting. Such interventions face substantial limitations because underground peat fires can continue smouldering despite efforts to extinguish flames at the surface.
Indonesia is experiencing its most severe wildfire season since 2015, with prolonged dry conditions associated with El Niño intensifying fires across Sumatra and Borneo. Nearly 900,000 hectares have reportedly burned since January, including forests, agricultural land and plantations.
The health consequences are mounting. Indonesian authorities recorded more than 283,000 respiratory illness cases across seven affected provinces by October 13, reflecting the growing burden on communities exposed to prolonged smoke pollution.
Palangkaraya has registered particularly alarming pollution measurements, with Indonesia’s air quality index exceeding 1,200 in parts of Central Kalimantan. Such readings are far beyond the country’s hazardous pollution threshold and indicate exceptionally dangerous atmospheric conditions.
Fine particles known as PM2.5 are especially concerning because they can penetrate deeply into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Prolonged exposure increases risks for people with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, while children and older residents face heightened vulnerability.
Environmental degradation has compounded the emergency. Indonesian officials have identified damaged peatlands as a major factor behind persistent fires, particularly where drainage systems and land conversion have reduced moisture levels in naturally waterlogged ecosystems.
More than 16 million hectares of Indonesia’s approximately 24 million hectares of peatland are considered vulnerable to fire because of ecological deterioration. Officials have pledged to improve water management and restore damaged areas to reduce the likelihood of recurring disasters.
President Prabowo Subianto has ordered stronger firefighting measures and enforcement against illegal burning. Agricultural land clearing remains a significant concern, particularly where fire is used to prepare plantations or other commercial developments.
The cross-border emergency has renewed pressure for coordinated action among Southeast Asian governments. Malaysian lawmakers have called for stronger regional measures against companies implicated in illegal land burning, including potential financial penalties.
East Timor’s education authorities have meanwhile directed school administrators to communicate the temporary arrangements to parents, pupils and teaching staff. Educational institutions must organise replacement learning activities, with teachers permitted to prepare recovery plans during the suspension period.
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