The number of forest fires raging in Indonesia’s Sumatra island has increased, with wind blowing choking smoke over parts of Malaysia and slashing visibility.

The fires are a regular occurrence during the dry season in areas such as Sumatra and Borneo, but the situation has deteriorated in the last decade, with timber and plantation firms often blamed for deliberately starting fires to clear land.

The worst haze hit in 1997-98, when drought caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon led to major Indonesian fires. The smoke spread to Singapore, Malaysia and south Thailand and cost more than US$9 billion (RM31.55 billion) in damage to tourism, transport and farming.

Risks for another bad period appear to have risen with the prospect of a return of El Nino this year.

47 hotspots were recorded in Riau province in Sumatra yesterday based on satellite surveillance, and temperatures were abnormally high at 35°C (95°F).

The haze is likely to remain a threat until August at least. The rainy season usually begins in September.

Wind had blown the haze over Malaysia, but no flights had been cancelled so far, with visibility of 6,000 meters, above the minimum to allow flights of 1,000 meters.

In Malaysia, the haze had reduced visibility in some areas surrounding the capital Kuala Lumpur to as low as 5,000 meters. Two out of 51 areas in the country recorded air readings that were unhealthy.

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