East Timor to close schools over smoke from Indonesian fires — Asharq Al-Awsat

East Timor will close schools nationwide for three days starting Thursday due to haze caused by massive forest fires in Indonesia. In western Singapore, air pollution levels reached the “very high” category on Wednesday — the highest in the country, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

PM2.5 levels in Singapore

Singapore’s National Environment Agency recorded a concentration of fine particulate matter PM2.5 at 288 micrograms per cubic meter. Such particles can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream. By comparison, the World Health Organization’s recommended annual average PM2.5 exposure level is 5 micrograms per cubic meter.

Smoke from the fires in Indonesia has also spread to Malaysia, the Philippines and East Timor. The East Timor government described the suspension of classes as a precautionary measure to protect the health of students, teachers and other members of the educational community due to current air conditions.

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Fires in Indonesia

The fires in Indonesia have engulfed hundreds of thousands of hectares of forests and plantations. They have caused health problems among local residents, while thick smoke has spread across countries in the region.

Indonesia regularly faces forest fires during the dry season. This year, they have been more severe than usual amid a strong El Niño cycle that causes drought. Experts also point to the practice of clearing land by burning, which has altered the naturally fire-resistant landscapes of the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.