Indonesia wildfire haze: four dead, over 2,020 flights hit

Four men died while fighting wildfires in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park on Indonesia's Java island, and haze from the country's months-long fires has affected more than 2,020 flights since August 11, authorities said on Friday.

Indonesia's forestry ministry said the four were killed while battling flames in the East Java park on Thursday. Two other people suffered serious burns and were receiving medical treatment.

National park spokesman Endrip Wahyutama previously said two of the men who died were national park officers and two were security guards helping them. He said they were trapped by flames and thick smoke, with three dying at the scene and a fourth later in hospital.

The haze has spread across Southeast Asia, closing schools in some places and contributing to respiratory complaints. Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Singapore would take action under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act where warranted and would explore joint action with other countries.

Singapore again topped IQAir's live ranking of the world's most polluted major cities on Friday, followed by Kuala Lumpur, while Jakarta ranked eighth. IQAir showed Singapore's air pollution at about 251 around 0400 GMT, a level classed as very unhealthy under the company's scale.

In Indonesia's Palangkaraya, in Central Kalimantan, IQAir showed pollution in the hazardous zone above 300 on Friday. A resident named Syehan said the haze caused shortness of breath and had hurt market business.

Indonesia's civil aviation chief Lukman F. Laisa said more than 2,020 flights had been affected since the haze first hit on August 11, including cancellations, delays and diversions.

The forestry department said 615 hotspots were detected in six priority provinces. A hotspot is a satellite-detected area of unusually high temperature that can indicate a potential fire or another strong heat source.

Indonesia experiences wildfires regularly during its dry season. Authorities and experts cited in the story say a strong El Nino has brought drought this year, while deforestation and dried peatlands have made some landscapes more vulnerable to fire.