The annual illegal burn-off in Indonesia, which officials have been accused of doing little to stop, sees choking smoke billow across the region, with Malaysia, Singapore and southern Thailand usually worst affected.

But on Thursday, the haze had spread 3,600 kilometres (2,250 miles) to smother islands in the western Pacific, authorities there said.

In the US-administered Northern Mariana Islands, the Emergency Management Office said the Indonesian fires were the source of haze over the islands.

In Guam, near to the Northern Marianas, acting governor Tim Villagomez said the haze was likely to persist for several days. Motorists were warned to take extra care because of the poor visibility.

The fires have been raging on jungle-clad Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of Borneo island, and Sumatra, closing schools in Indonesia, delaying flights and forcing residents to don face masks as they cope with the bad air.

Satellite images taken over Borneo on Wednesday showed that although the number of hotspots -- large areas with high temperatures indicating fires -- had dropped in West and Central Kalimantan to 395, the number in South Kalimantan had more than quadrupled from a day earlier to 561.

"The governor has ordered all schools, from kindergarten to high school, to close as of today (Thursday) and only reopen Monday," said West Kalimantan local official Emmy Putrimas, from the provincial capital Pontianak.

Putrimas said people were wearing masks that were being distributed on the streets to try to cope with the deterioration in air quality.

Schools in Palangkaraya, the capital of neighbouring Central Kalimantan, were closed for three days on Tuesday and an aide to the head of the local education office said that it was likely this would be extended.

In Pontianak, visibility was less than 300 meters (yards) while in Palangkaraya, it was just 200 meters, meteorological officials there said.

Health officials in both provinces have said that more people have been seeking medical help for respiratory ailments in recent weeks.

Flights in Indonesia's affected region have been delayed until midday each day for the past week.

In neighbouring Malaysia's Sarawak state air quality remained unhealthy in most areas, with Air Pollutant Index readings of between 106 to 188. The index considers haze levels of 100-200 to be unhealthy.

Travel was also affected.

"The helicopter service, a key mode of transport in Sarawak, has been stopped due to poor visibility," an official with the Department of Civil Aviation in Sarawak's capital Kuching told AFP.

Three scheduled flights operated by Malaysia Airlines were also diverted on Wednesday due to poor visibility, he said.

In peninsular Malaysia, locations in five states, including the tourist destination of Malacca, posted unhealthy air quality between 101 and 116, up from two states on Wednesday.

The grey haze also enveloped Singapore on Tuesday.

In 1997-98 the haze cost the Southeast Asian region an estimated 9.0 billion dollars by disrupting air travel and other business activities.

earlier related report
Haze disrupts air travel in Malaysia's Sarawak state
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) Oct 05 - Smog from fires raging on Indonesia's side of Borneo island has disrupted air traffic in neighbouring Malaysia's Sarawak state which is choking under unhealthy levels of haze, officials said Thursday.

The haze situation in peninsular Malaysia is also worsening, with five states facing Indonesia's Sumatra island now hit by unhealthy air quality.

"The helicopter service, a key mode of transport in Sarawak, has been stopped due to poor visibility," an official with the Department of Civil Aviation in Sarawak's capital Kuching told AFP.

Three scheduled flights operated by Malaysia Airlines and a unit of budget carrier AirAsia were also diverted on Wednesday due to poor visibility, he said.

Helicopters are required to have a minimum visibility of 1.5 kilometers (one mile) but visibility in most parts of the state is now less than one kilometer, the official said.

Air quality in Sarawak continued to remain unhealthy in most areas, with Air Pollutant Index readings of between 106 and 188. The index considers haze levels of 100-200 to be unhealthy.

"Hopefully by the end of the month, when the monsoon season kicks in, we will have rain and we will see the end of the haze," a meteorological services department official said.

In peninsular Malaysia, locations in five states including the tourist destination of Malacca posted unhealthy air quality between 101 and 116, up from two states on Wednesday.

Malaysia is hoping to post a sharp rise in tourist arrivals and earnings next year but top travel officials have warned that haze from the Indonesian forest fires could choke the industry.

The Malaysian and Indonesian governments have outlawed land clearing by fire but weak enforcement means the ban is largely ignored.

earlier related report
More Indonesian schools shut as haze thickens
Jakarta (AFP) Oct 05 - More schools were shut in Indonesia Thursday, as travellers grappled with flight delays and face masks were donned to cope with worsening acrid haze from land-clearing fires, officials said.

The annual illegal burn-off in Indonesia, which officials here have been accused of doing little to stop, sees choking smoke billow across the region, with Malaysia, Singapore and southern Thailand also usually affected.

The fires typically rage on Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of Borneo island and Sumatra.

Satellite images taken over Borneo on Wednesday showed that although the number of hotspots -- large areas with high temperatures indicating fires -- had dropped in West and Central Kalimantan to 395, the number in South Kalimantan had more than quadrupled from a day earlier to 561.

"The governor has ordered all schools, from kindergarten to high school, to close as of today (Thursday) and only reopen Monday," said West Kalimantan local official Emmy Putrimas, from the provincial capital Pontianak.

Putrimas said people were wearing masks that were being distributed on the streets to try to cope with the deterioration in air quality.

Schools in Palangkaraya, the capital of neighbouring Central Kalimantan, were ordered closed for three days on Tuesday and an aide to the head of the local education office said that it was likely this would be extended.

The haze appeared to have worsened in the two provinces, meteorology officials there said. In Pontianak, visibility was less than 300 meters (yards) while in Palangkaraya, it was just 200 meters.

"These conditions appear to be evenly spread across the province," said Hidayat from the meteorology office in Palangkaraya.

Health officials in both provinces have said that more people have been seeking medical help for respiratory ailments in recent weeks, but no figures have been released.

In Sumatra's Jambi, the haze has kept visibility to just 100 meters at first daylight to just 1,200 meters later in the day for the past week, said Muslim, an official from the local meteorology office.

"Early flights flying from and to the Jambi airport have been all delayed in the past days and the first flight usually takes off or lands at 11:00 am," he said.

The grey haze enveloped Singapore on Tuesday and has been affecting air quality in Malaysia for several weeks.

On Thursday, officials in the western Pacific said that the haze was affecting islands some 3,600 kilometres (2,250 miles) away.

The 1997-98 haze crisis cost the Southeast Asian region an estimated 9.0 billion dollars by disrupting air travel and other business activities.

Related Links
The Air We Breathe at TerraDaily.com
Save the Forests at Wood Pile
Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up

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