Workers in Sumatra are laboring in air that is unhealthy to breathe as haze blankets the region, according to CNA. One resident told the outlet, "I can only wait and hope," capturing the sense of helplessness among those whose livelihoods depend on being outdoors.
The haze has returned roughly a decade after Indonesia's worst fires, The Straits Times reports. The recurrence raises the question of why the problem persists despite the severity of the earlier crisis.
Smallholders near the source of the burning have offered their own perspective on the situation, according to The Business Times. IQAir has also spotlighted forest and peatland fires in Indonesia in its wildfire monitoring.
The wider region is affected as well. Time Magazine reports that Southeast Asia is facing a haze crisis, indicating the problem extends beyond Indonesia's borders.
The reporting points to fires in forest and peatland areas as a central element of the current episode. Peatland fires are particularly difficult to extinguish and can produce heavy smoke over extended periods.
For now, residents and workers in Sumatra continue to face hazardous conditions with limited options. CNA's reporting highlights the human cost, with people describing a situation they cannot control and can only endure.
What to watch next: whether air quality conditions in Sumatra and across Southeast Asia improve, and whether authorities take further action on the fires driving the haze.