One of Indonesia's worst wildfire seasons is sending toxic haze across Southeast Asia, with Singapore's landmarks disappearing behind a veil of smoke, the BBC reports. The choking haze is the product of weeks of uncontrolled burning that has overwhelmed firefighting efforts on the ground.
The BBC's Tessa Wong reports that the fires are now severe enough to erase the Singapore skyline from view across the strait, as smoke drifts over the city-state and neighboring countries. Air quality has deteriorated sharply, with health authorities across the region warning residents to limit outdoor activity.
The annual transboundary haze crisis has become a recurring regional emergency, driven largely by land-clearing fires on Indonesian peatlands that can smolder for weeks. This year's season ranks among the most destructive, compounding pressure on Jakarta to rein in the burning.
Governments in the region are coordinating firefighting support and monitoring stations as the haze season peaks. For Singaporeans, the grey skies are a grim reminder that the fires — and the diplomatic fallout over them — return almost every dry season.
