Indonesia haze turns skies orange; East Timor shuts schools

· Climate · Indonesia · Timor-Leste

Fires burning for months in Indonesia have sent smoke across the region, turning skies orange and prompting East Timor to begin a three-day school closure. Indonesia blamed peatland degradation for the raging fires and vowed restoration, with Central Kalimantan and South Sumatra worst affected. The government is testing dry ice dispersal to tackle the haze. Malaysia's haze frustration boiled over with school closures, and Jakarta replaced its disaster management chief a day after the arrest of the president's brother on graft charges.

Why it matters：The haze crisis is disrupting education and health across Southeast Asia, exposing the regional cost of Indonesia's land-management failures.

Key points

  • Fires in Indonesia sent smoke across the region, turning skies orange
  • East Timor began a three-day school closure over the haze
  • Indonesia blamed peatland degradation and is testing dry ice dispersal

Sources (original reporting)

More stories from this day