Image source, BBC indonesia

As thick haze from forest and land fires continues to affect Palangka Raya, local volunteers have set up community-run "clean air shelters" to provide relief for residents struggling with smoke exposure.

The RAKAT coalition, a network of civil society groups, has operated two shelters since August, offering facilities including air purifiers, oxygen, nebulisers and basic medicines, between 7 to 10 pm.

Coordinator Agung Sesa told BBC Indonesia that the initiative was launched to provide rapid assistance for residents affected by the worsening haze, particularly vulnerable groups such as children and older people.

The shelters receive around 10 to 15 visitors a day, many seeking help for breathing difficulties, persistent coughs and eye irritation.

"Most complaints involve shortness of breath, coughing and sore eyes," Agung said, adding that some visitors have required urgent treatment.

The volunteer group says demand remains high and is currently seeking donations of medicines, vitamins, milk and oxygen supplies to keep the shelters operating during the prolonged haze crisis.

On Thursday the BBC interviewed passers-by near Singapore's F1 circuit to gather their opinions about the ongoing haze crisis.

“We were disappointed that we can't see the view, Singapore is famous for its skyline. You can't see far enough to be able to appreciate the skyline," one British couple told us.

When asked about their concerns regarding this weekends F1 Grand Prix, they said that they had no worries.

“We are not overly concerned, as long as we can see the cars on the track, we’re quite happy, and as long as it doesn’t affect the drivers as well."

One Australian tourist was let down by how quickly the clear skies were shrouded by the grey smog.

"First thing this morning, the sun was shining and it was clear and I thought, ‘wow this was going to be a really good day, maybe the breeze has blown it away’. However, the haze came back.”

How tempers have flared over the haze in South East Asiapublished at 10:48 BST

10:48 BST

Kelly Ng
Reporting from Singapore

The haze has held South East Asia in a chokehold for a decades and has often soured ties among neighbours in the region.

One of the most striking disputes happened during the catastrophic fire season of 2015, which prompted cabinet ministers in Singapore and Malaysia to call Indonesia out over the poor air quality.

Singapore's then foreign minister K Shanmugam slammed Jakarta for showing "complete disregard for our people, and their own", while Malaysia's former PM Najib Razak demanded that Indonesia convict companies responsible for the fires.

While Indonesia had apologised for the toxic smog in past years, its then vice-president Jusuf Kalla rapped its neighbours for complaining. "For 11 months, they enjoyed nice air from Indonesia and they never thanked us," he said.

The next year, Singapore's decision to pass a law that would allow it to prosecute Indonesian firms found responsible for the fires enraged Indonesia, with the latter's environment minister threatening to terminate haze-related partnerships with the city state.

In recent years, though, the countries have gradually shifted from diplomatic tiffs to cross-border cooperation. Malaysia, for instance, has offered to support current firefighting efforts in Indonesia.

Experts have also called for more active data sharing, the setting up of common reporting standards and more corporate accountability which they believe will lead to better outcomes in tackling the toxic smog.

Julianna Khan
Live reporter

Image source, @crashcltr on TikTok

Jakarta content creator Bella, 24, has been taking to TikTok to break down the toll of Indonesia’s forest fires on neighbouring countries.

She has highlighted how smoke from palm oil plantation expansion is drifting across borders and triggering emergency responses in Malaysia.

Bella told the BBC how the poor air quality has worsened her pre-existing sleep apnoea and made breathing difficult when she's outside.

“The situation has gotten really bad. I’ve noticed the air quality getting worse and the sky looking much greyer, and I’ve had trouble breathing when I’m outside in Jakarta.

"I’ve mostly been coping by staying indoors and avoiding walking or commuting outside whenever possible... it has improved lately, but I still notice the effects most when I’m outdoors," she said.

She voiced deep frustration over official handling of the recurring crisis.

“I feel disappointed, angry, and frustrated by how the government has handled—or failed to handle—the situation.”

Osmond Chia
Business reporter

Image source, Formula 1 via Getty Images

At the BBC’s Singapore office, the revving of high-performance cars can already be heard from kilometres away as the cars prepare to take to the Marina Bay street circuit later this evening for the Sprint Qualifying race.

Workplaces around the track are getting ready to host viewing parties from skyscrapers overlooking the circuit - and with the worsening haze, an air-conditioned office could be the ideal viewing spot.

The air quality could make conditions for drivers even more challenging in Singapore, home to one of the toughest races on the F1 calendar.

In Singapore's tropical heat, drivers will have to endure sauna-like cockpits where temperatures can exceed 50C (122F) as they navigate the street circuit's tight turns. Organisers have declared the race a heat hazard.

Drivers regularly lose roughly 2 to 4kg in sweat during a single race in Singapore, risking dehydration and the loss of cognitive function.

Spanish driver Carlos Sainz has said: “For me, if you survive Singapore, then you’re fit for anything else in Formula 1."

Indonesia has been spending months putting out fires, but many of them are hard to extinguish. The BBC's Gavin Butler explains why.

Julianna Khan
Live reporter

Singaporean university students Natalie, 19, and Emma, 21, have told the BBC that the worsening air quality is disrupting their lives.

Natalie says that stepping outside is like entering “a BBQ pit”, and the smoke has been making her feel more fatigued than usual.

“The air feels heavier, the smell is quite strong, and I get uncomfortable or tired more easily if I'm outside for too long," Natalie said.

Emma says she has "lost the ability" to smell the haze "which is slightly concerning because I can feel the effects on my body, but I can't tell it's there."

"My throat feels itchy. I sing in my school's singing club, so my voice condition is also affected by the haze."

She expressed deeper concerns over recurring forest fires.“I am more worried about the state of the environment currently - it feels like the Earth is dying.”

Image source, Natalie Lim

Nefri Inge
in Palembang

Image source, Nefri Inge

A family in Palembang, South Sumatra, says persistent haze from forest and land fires has left nearly every member sick, as respiratory illnesses continue to rise across the city.

Agus Winarni said all six members of her household, including four children, have fallen ill over the past two weeks. The sickness began with her youngest son before spreading through the family, causing coughs, fever, sore throats and eye irritation.

"The illness spread from one child to another. They became weak, developed coughs and fevers, and had to take turns visiting the doctor," she said.

Agus said the haze has become so thick that smoke seeps into their home through window vents, despite efforts to keep doors and windows closed.

Her husband, a motorcycle taxi driver, has been unable to work regularly because of the illness.

With schools shifting to remote learning because of the worsening haze, the couple's children have been attending classes online from home while recovering from illness.

Their latest challenge came when their daughter fell ill on Thursday night, and now cannot get out of bed as she suffers from vomiting, fever, dizziness and a sore throat.

"This morning she could only manage a few bites of bread," Agus said.

With several family members still recovering and income disrupted, Agus said the prolonged haze is taking both a health and financial toll on the household.

"Previous fire seasons were never this bad. Why is it so severe this time?" she said.

Image source, Nefri Inge

Liza Tambunan
Jakarta Correspondent

Despite efforts to put out the fires in Indonesia many of them keep burning. Official data shows the number of hotspots continues to fluctuate, rising again after a period of decline.

This is in part due to peatland fires, which burn underground and can continue to smoulder and re-emerge.

Peatlands are waterlogged ecosystems formed from layers of partially decomposed material that store vast amounts of carbon and are highly vulnerable to fire when drained or dried out.

“Fires in peatland areas are extremely difficult to extinguish. Even if all the fires are put out today, that doesn’t necessarily mean the fire will be fully contained by tomorrow, as new hotspots can emerge,” said Suharyanto, head of Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) in a statement on Tuesday.

Last month, Prabowo also established the National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency to strengthen peatland management and prevent recurring forest and land fires.

But the creation of the agency has drawn some scepticism over how effectively it will address existing challenges in peatland management.

“The government does not need a new agency simply to count activities and build infrastructure. Indonesia needs governance that can keep peatlands wet, halt further degradation, ensure accountability among concession holders, and protect communities that have borne the impact,” said Putra Saptian, a senior campaigner at Pantau Gambut, in a statement.

As Singapore has been blanketed by the haze in recent days, it has also been gearing up for the F1 Grand Prix which will see thousands of visitors descend on the city. The BBC's Vandhna Bhan reported on pollution levels at the F1 track in downtown Singapore on Thursday.

Transboundary haze has been a recurring point of contention in South East Asia for the past few decades, especially at this time of the year, as seasonal winds blow dense smoke plumes from Sumatra and Kalimantan across the Malacca Strait and South China Sea.

This composite image shows how smoke from the fires in Indonesia have spread over the last two months towards Malaysia, Singapore and parts of the Philippines.

Image source, Getty Images

As residents struggle with hazardous wildfire haze in Central Kalimantan, others have stepped forward as volunteers to help fight the fires.

Ramadhan Noverian Belmin, a volunteer firefighter with BPK Hiu Putih, told BBC Indonesia that this year's fires around Palangka Raya are "much worse" than in previous years." This year, there have been so many hotspots.

Even after they are extinguished, new ones appear. We put them out, and they appear again," he said on 23 September. Ramadhan said extremely dry land and vegetation have allowed fires to reignite quickly.

"When the wind picks up, the fire becomes active again immediately," he said. He also cited logistical challenges, including remote fire locations, limited water supplies and fuel restrictions for water pumps.

According to Ramadhan, each firefighting team is allocated 15 litres of fuel per day, enough to run a water pump for only about three hours. When fuel runs out before firefighting efforts are complete, volunteers often pay out of their own pockets to continue operations.

Despite the challenges, Ramadhan said his team remains committed. "As volunteers, there is no such thing as being tired. We keep fighting," he said.

You can read more about the volunteer firefighters in Indonesia in this piece by Gavin Butler and Ahmad Dhani.

This year's haze isn't the worst we've seen - yetpublished at 09:14 BST

09:14 BST

Kelly Ng
Reporting from Singapore

Image source, Getty Images

For some in South East Asia, this year's haze has been prompting flashbacks to 2015, which saw a disastrous fire season and months of severe haze blanketing the region.

Fires torched about 2.6 million hectares of land across Indonesia that year, which cost the country an estimated $16bn (£12bn) in economic losses, according to the World Bank's estimates.

Parts of Indonesia logged air quality readings five times the official "hazardous" benchmark. The Pollutant Standards Index hit 2,300 in the province of central Kalimantan, and firefighting helicopters had to be grounded because of poor visibility.

Schools were closed in parts of Indonesia, as well as in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore for days, and several sporting events were cancelled.

Here in Singapore, I remember people rushing to stockpile masks, fast food outlets suspending delivery services, and gyms offering discounted memberships as people were encouraged to cut down on outdoor activity. The community centre close to my home opened up rooms for residents who did not have air-conditioning.

The 2015 disaster prompted Indonesia to set up an agency to manage degraded peatlands, and to ban the issuance of new permits for clearing primary forests.

At a regional level, the 10 South East Asian countries agreed to develop a "roadmap towards a haze-free Asean by 2020".

Eleven years since the catastrophic season, the region is again choking on toxic smog.

Julianna Khan
Live reporter

As dense haze continues to envelope parts of Malaysia, it's not all gloom and doom for Malaysians who are channeling their frustration into posting humorous memes on social media.

The Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), which includes the iconic Petronas Twin Towers landmark, has been rebranded on social media as 'KLCannotC' after the towers were completely erased by the thick gray smog.

Social media users have posted photos of barely visible skylines, using the pun to draw attention to the persistent regional fires affecting millions.

Image source, @KlutzyKucing on Twitter

Image source, @u.ju.home on Instagram

It's not just humans affected by the haze - many animals living in the burning forests are struggling too.

All three species of orangutans that exist in the world today are classified as critically endangered. They can be found only in Sumatra and Borneo, which is also where the fires have been raging.

The wildfires have not only destroyed their habitats, but are also leaving them without food and water, experts say.

The wife of a ride-hailing driver who died in Palembang, South Sumatra, has told BBC Indonesia that she believes that the haze caused by forest and land fires may have contributed to his death.

Rika Yunita Sari said her husband Hardiansyah had suffered from asthma since birth and had repeatedly struggled to breathe during the haze season.

He always carried his asthma medication and wore a mask when riding his motorcycle, she added.

His asthma flared up after he woke up struggling to breathe last Friday, according to his wife.

Rika said she noticed her 41-year-old husband's breathing was unusually irregular at around 7am and rushed him to Bari Hospital in Palembang.

“There was no time to give him medicine anymore. We panicked and went straight to the hospital,” she said. Heavy traffic delayed the journey, and Hardiansyah's condition worsened on the way.

He was examined after arriving at the hospital but was pronounced dead at around 8:30am.

She believes smoke from the fires had become so severe on the day he died that it had seeped into their home. As the family's sole breadwinner, Hardiansyah continued working despite the poor air quality.

“My husband was the backbone of the family,” Rika said.

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Singapore

Image source, Getty Images

On Thursday night, several F1 drivers in Singapore were asked by the media about how they plan to cope with the haze.

Carlos Sainz, from Atlassian Williams, admitted that "it doesn't feel like the healthiest of a place to be breathing right now given the amount of pollution from the fires in Indonesia".

But, he added, F1 is a "funny sport" because "anyway when we are racing, we are breathing the gasoline burn fuel of the car in front for all of our lives, and we've done that since we were 12 years old or 11 years old, so it's debatable whether it's a healthy or unhealthy sport."

"We do it, we like it, it smells great and I love the smell of fuel. The haze is a different matter obviously but we need to go by what the authorities say.”

Meanwhile Scuderia Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton said he hasn't thought about it as "I’ve had bigger issues to focus on. I haven't noticed anything outside, apart from the fact that we struggled to land because of the smog."

"So I can't really say much, unfortunately. The fact is we're all here.”

Indonesia has detected nearly 400 fire hotspots across the country over the past 24 hours, according to Nasa's active fire data tracker.

This is down from the more than 1,100 hotspots recorded over the previous day, although authorities have warned that the prolonged dry spell mean the risk of renewed fires remain high.

You'll see in the image below that the active fires are concentrated in South Sumatra and across Kalimantan.

Osmond Chia and Faisal Irfani

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

The haze has long been a recurring problem, and has been weighing on economies across the region for decades.

This year, the fires in Indonesia could cost the country nearly 30 trillion rupiah (£1.3bn; $1.7bn) in economic losses, a study by the Center of Economic and Law Studies estimated.

The losses are a result of damage to burned assets as well as disruptions to economic activity, including trade, agriculture, and the food and accommodation sectors.

The health-related costs could also exceed 100 trillion rupiah, the research suggested.

In Malaysia, researchers estimate the haze has cost anywhere up to 400m ringgit (£74m; $98m) in healthcare fees in previous episodes.

Malaysian manufacturing groups have said poor air quality disrupts outdoor works and adds costs to companies that need to buy heavy-duty air filtration systems and other equipment.

Studies by Singapore's Nanyang Technological University estimated that one of the island-state's worst haze episodes in 2015 cost each resident about S$468 (£276.18; $365.89), with total economic losses reaching more than S$1.8bn nationwide.