Indonesia Fires Trigger Highest ASEAN Haze Alert

The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre raised its haze alert to Level 3, the highest of its four-tier system, for the southern ASEAN region on October 16, 2026. The ASMC stated on its website: "Activation of Alert Level 3 for the Southern Asean region." Level 3 applies when there is a high risk of severe transboundary haze, with moderate to dense smoke haze for at least two consecutive days. Similar alerts were issued on August 26 and March 27, 2026, making this the third this year. Indonesia applied dry ice at a main airport in South Sumatra to disperse haze and deployed 60,000 personnel and 50 aircraft to combat fires. Singapore ranked second most polluted major city on IQAir's live ranking Saturday, behind Baghdad, with Kuala Lumpur third. PM2.5 in Singapore peaked at 284 micrograms per cubic meter on October 15. The haze closed schools and increased respiratory illnesses in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and East Timor. Singapore said it will issue warnings to seven Indonesian companies identified as responsible for fires. One outlet reports the current El Niño is comparable to the 2015 event, that Indonesia's BNPB pledged more forest guards and peatland restoration, and that Indonesian officials faced criticism for delaying a national disaster declaration. Cross-border air quality and fire containment remain ongoing concerns.