Indonesian forest fire catastrophe has an impact in Southeast Asia

The sky turned blood red in parts of Indonesia as the forest fire raged on in the country, spreading this toxicity to neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, and Singapore. The slash-and-burn methods were used to burn down forests in Sumatra and Borneo islands of Indonesia, known for its spectacular rainforests. The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur was barely visible through the smog, caused by the terrible forest fire in Indonesia.
The toxic haze of Indonesian forest fire led to schools remaining shut within the country, and as well as in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia. It has been reported that the air quality in Singapore had worsened over the last few days. While the Indonesian forest fires happen annually, this year the outbreak is the worst since 2015, and is causing a lot of concern. One of the main reasons for this concern is that the smog caused by the fire ends up affecting Borneo’s orangutans, which are endangered. The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation has reported that there are dozens of young apes at the rescue centres currently, getting treated.


Moreover, the locals in the region are breathing in the toxic air, which is definitely having an adverse effect on their lungs. Locals in the province of Jambi are posing pictures and videos on social media, asking for assistance.

In 2019, 340,000 hectares of land got burned in Indonesia due to the fire, as the government tries hard to contain them, and even catch those who are behind these forest fires. Other than orangutans, it was also discovered that many wild animals were burnt alive in the rainforest fire of Indonesia.