Fires claim firefighters’ lives as toxic haze cloaks region

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Four people died on Indonesia’s Java island fighting the blazes that have sent toxic smoke across southeast Asia, closed schools and fueled a surge of respiratory complaints, authorities said Friday.

The smoke is a direct consequence of the fires, which four people lost their lives battling in East Java’s Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park on Thursday, Indonesia’s forestry ministry said.

Two others suffered serious burns and were receiving further medical treatment.

“This incident serves as a reminder that forest and land fire extinguishing is a high-risk operation,” it said, adding that personnel safety remained a primary concern.

On Friday, the city-state’s air pollution surged to around 251 on IQAir’s Air Quality Index level into very unhealthy levels at around 0400 GMT.

Under the Swiss-based company’s system, readings of 151-200 are considered unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy and above 300 hazardous.

A local Singaporean tour guide, who asked Agence France-Presse not to use his name, said “You can’t see much from Singapore’s famous landmarks.”

“Usually I can see as far as the national stadium. Today we can’t see anything,” he added.

In Indonesia’s Palangkaraya, a city in central Kalimantan, air pollution levels hovered in the hazardous zone above 300 on Friday, according to IQAir.

But many residents did not wear face masks, and stall owners went about their business as usual, but the ongoing haze had an impact.

“It leads to shortness of breath, and in terms of business, there’s an impact,” said Syehan, 43, who goes by a single name like many Indonesians.

The haze has also affected regional aviation in Indonesia.

Since the haze first hit on 11 August, more than 2,020 flights were affected, civil aviation chief Lukman F. Laisa said.