{
  "id": 3466578,
  "title": "Fire and haze threaten health of millions in Indonesia",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/fire-and-haze-threaten-health-of-millions-in-indonesia",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-26T08:16:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/08/26/fire-and-haze-threaten-health-of-millions-in-indonesia"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "PEKANBARU, Indonesia - Thick haze and wildfires have forced millions of Indonesians to risk their health, officials reported on Wednesday. El Nino-fueled blazes on Borneo and Sumatra islands have caused school closures and led to thousands of medical treatments due to respiratory infections.\n\nThe health ministry warned that 3.4 million people in seven provinces on the islands were at risk. Thick smog blanketed Pekanbaru, Sumatra's Riau province capital, leading authorities to close dozens of schools. Residents like 38-year-old Abdullah said they feared going outside, wearing masks when they did.\n\nIn Jambi, Sumatra, a homemaker with a four-year-old child reported coughing and difficulty breathing. The local government ordered home schooling for the week. The health ministry distributed over 260,000 face masks to affected areas.\n\nPresident Prabowo Subianto announced deployment of helicopters, aircraft, water pumps, and personnel to battle the fires, believing control could be regained within two weeks. Police arrested 72 suspects for starting fires, with over 200,000 hectares burned between January and July, an area three times larger than Jakarta.\n\nEl Nino weather patterns have caused worldwide changes, prompting Indonesians to pray for rain during the Muslim celebration of Prophet Mohammed's birth. Malaysia offered assistance, and Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur briefly became the second-most polluted city globally due to poor air quality.",
  "summary": "Indonesia has for weeks battled wildfires that have led to school closures and thousands of people requiring medical treatment, with smoke also reaching neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Indonesia opens its skies to Malaysian rainmakers as haze crisis deepens",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/indonesia-opens-its-skies-to-malaysian-rainmakers-as-haze-crisis",
        "published": "2026-08-26T06:45:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Ahead of National Day celebrations, Malaysia to step up haze mitigation measures with Indonesia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/ahead-of-national-day-celebrations-malaysia-to-step-up-haze",
        "published": "2026-08-26T07:44:36.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "Haze from El Niño-fuelled wildfires threatens health of millions in Indonesia, ministry warns",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/haze-from-el-nino-fuelled-wildfires-threatens-health-of-millions-in",
        "published": "2026-08-26T07:54:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Fire and haze threaten health of millions in Indonesia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/fire-and-haze-threaten-health-of-millions-in-indonesia-3471197",
        "published": "2026-08-26T08:16:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}