Thick haze from widespread wildfires in Indonesia has turned skies in several Southeast Asian cities shades of yellow and orange, prompting health warnings and school closures across the region. The fires, which have been burning for months, have significantly reduced visibility in affected areas, including Palangkaraya in Kalimantan, where skies deepened to an apocalyptic orange on Wednesday night and remained grimy yellow through Thursday.

The regional air pollution crisis, driven by extensive forest and plantation fires in Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua, has affected air quality not only in Indonesia but also in neighboring countries. Kuala Lumpur was recorded as the most polluted major city globally on Thursday, according to air quality monitoring, followed closely by Singapore, with Medan and Jakarta in Indonesia trailing behind. Smoke has also spread to the Philippines and East Timor, the latter of which initiated a three-day school closure in its capital, Dili, to protect students from the hazardous air.

Local residents in epicenters like Palangkaraya have borne the brunt of the crisis. Motorbike taxi driver Heri, who works outdoors, described persistently breathing thick smoke over the past several days despite wearing a mask. He reported symptoms including eye irritation caused by dust and ash within the haze and noted the economic hardship of enduring the pollution while continuing to work. Similarly, residents in Dili reported heavy pollution under yellow-tinged skies, with midwife Sonya da Costa Soares emphasizing the importance of keeping children home to avoid health risks. Other residents expressed concern about the severity of the smoke earlier in the week, with some describing it as a pervasive blanket over the city and nearby mountains.

Indonesia’s wildfire situation has been exacerbated this year by a strong El Niño event, which has fueled drought conditions across the region. Much of the haze is attributed to fires burning in peatlands—normally water-saturated ecosystems that have become vulnerable to blazes due to drainage and deforestation for agriculture. These peat fires are particularly difficult to extinguish, as they burn underground and can persist even when surface flames are controlled.

The Indonesian government has deployed tens of thousands of firefighters to combat the blazes, but progress has been limited. In a recent effort to mitigate smoke, authorities planned to drop dry ice over parts of South Sumatra in order to disrupt haze formation, with the possibility of extending the technique to other areas if successful, according to Chief Security Minister Dudung Abdurachman.

Despite the current crisis, some experts have noted that cumulative fire emissions remain below levels observed in the severe 2015 season, although the fire season still has several weeks to run. Researchers and environmental specialists warn that the air quality impacts remain serious and persistent, signaling ongoing risks to public health and the environment in the region.