Climate News
Indonesia's worst fire season in years: 3,560 deaths in September, and rain at last
Pollution from Indonesia's forest and peatland fires killed an estimated 3,560 people in the country in September, according to a new study reported by The Japan Times. The same study found that about 57.8 million people in Indonesia were breathing air rated unhealthy to hazardous that month.
The Japan Times describes this as Indonesia's worst fire season in years, with choking haze covering local towns and drifting across neighbouring countries for weeks. It now reports that rain is set to ease the haze in Singapore and Malaysia. BBC News published clips of firefighters celebrating as the rain fell.
Many of the fires burn in drained peatland, which can smoulder underground for weeks and gives off thick smoke. Fire seasons in Indonesia tend to be worse in El Niño years, when the dry season is longer.
How each outlet framed it
- The Japan Times — the health cost: an estimated death toll and the number of people exposed to dangerous air, plus the regional haze.
- BBC News — the relief: video of firefighters cheering the rain.
What we don't know yet: the death toll is a study estimate, not a count of recorded deaths, and may be revised. It is also unclear whether the rain will last long enough to put out fires burning deep in the peat.