Wildfires across Indonesia have burned more than 107,000 hectares and sent smoke into neighboring Malaysia, where air pollution has reached unhealthy levels in parts of Sarawak. In the small Sarawak town of Serian, the air pollution index measured 195 on Wednesday morning, according to the report published on August 12. At least nine areas of Sarawak recorded unhealthy air quality as haze from the Indonesian fires spread across the border.

Indonesian authorities are using aircraft for cloud seeding to create artificial rainfall as they struggle to contain the fires. Response efforts are being prioritized in six provinces: Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and Riau. These regions contain extensive peatlands that can burn easily during dry seasons. Schools in several fire-hit provinces have been closed for three days.

In Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, resident Darwin Romi said fires had persisted for more than a month, with dense smoke causing eye irritation and a strong odor. A water shortage has also hampered firefighting. About 550 hectares burned in East Java’s Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park before the fire was controlled on Monday, while the area has remained closed to tourists since August 8 amid renewed fire concerns.