Following our article on 27 August (see), Indonesia is facing a severe crisis as approximately 200,000 hectares of forest and farmland have burned across Borneo since early July. Prolonged drought linked to a powerful El Niño has helped thousands of fires spread, including underground blazes in carbon-rich peatlands that are exceptionally difficult to extinguish. Smoke has travelled across Southeast Asia, producing hazardous air pollution in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. Indonesia recorded more than 50,000 respiratory infections linked to the fires during July and August, including over 12,000 among children under five. Thousands of volunteer firefighters, many from indigenous communities, are battling the fires despite toxic smoke, water shortages and exhaustion; two volunteers have reportedly died. Scientists warn that drained and burning peatlands release enormous quantities of stored greenhouse gases. Decades of deforestation, plantation development and peatland drainage have increased the region’s vulnerability to destructive fires.