{
  "id": 12104071,
  "title": "Malaysia accounts for only 3pct of regional fire hotspots, says DoE",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/malaysia-accounts-for-only-3pct-of-regional-fire-hotspots-says-doe",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-05T07:59:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/10/1548176/malaysia-accounts-only-3pct-regional-fire-hotspots-says-doe"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia accounts for 3 percent of the fire hotspots detected by satellites in southern Southeast Asia, according to the Department of Environment (DoE). The majority of these hotspots are found in Kalimantan and Sumatra, Indonesia. Despite the strong El Nino, Malaysia's fire situation has been largely under control this year. Deputy Director-General (Development) Azuri Azizah Saedon reported that data from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre indicated Malaysia's minimal contribution to the total sub-regional hotspots. She clarified that hotspots do not necessarily correspond to actual fire locations and can be recorded multiple times until the fire is extinguished, thus the number of hotspots does not directly reflect the number of fires. In August alone, 13 hotspots were detected in Malaysia, compared to 1,180 in Kalimantan and 18 in Sumatra. The DoE credits check dams and tube wells built on peatland for aiding in the rapid extinguishing of fires. Azuri highlighted a peat fire in Johor that was quickly controlled due to these infrastructures. She also noted that smaller fires in June and July, including in Johan Setia, Selangor, were successfully monitored and extinguished before spreading. The current haze is the most severe since 2015 and 2016, attributed to a particularly strong El Nino. Sarawak is expected to remain hazy due to ongoing fires in Kalimantan, while the peninsula may be affected if fires persist in Sumatra.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia accounts for only 3 per cent of fire hotspots detected by satellite in southern Southeast Asia, with most recorded in Kalimantan and Sumatra, Indonesia.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}