Indonesia Wildfire Haze Chokes Malaysia's Sarawak, Shuts Nearly 600 Schools

Indonesian authorities warned they would take legal action against anyone starting open fires as blazes on Borneo — more than 5,000 hotspots recorded by Indonesia's Forestry Ministry — cut visibility to as little as 1-10 meters in parts of Kalimantan and sent dense smoke across the border into Malaysia's Sarawak state. Sarawak recorded 'very unhealthy' air quality in one district and 'unhealthy' readings in eight others, prompting the closure of nearly 600 schools affecting about 200,000 students. Indonesia's fires have now burned roughly 285,000 hectares nationwide in 2026, up from the 107,000 hectares reported in mid-August, as the intensifying El Niño and prolonged dry season fuel the country's worst fire season in years.