ASEAN Secretariat - The report is compiled by the ASEAN Secretariat based on feedback from relevant ASEAN Member Countries and will be updated on a regular basis.

Report of Current Situation

Thick smoke haze and numerous hotspots were detected in southern half of Sumatra. Winds at the present have confined most of the thick smoke haze to Sumatra. Meanwhile smoke haze continues to blanket the island of Borneo.


In Indonesia, hotspots detected by NOAA 12 are shown in the following table:

Hotspots increased significantly in Sumatra. Most hotspots were in South Sumatra, Riau and Jambi. In Kalimantan, hotspots increased in Central Kalimantan and East Kalimantan. Smoke haze was detected in Kalimantan and South Sumatra. Fires occurred mostly in abandoned ex-plantation areas and peatlands. Most fires were in inaccessible areas and water sources were difficult to find. In Central Kalimantan, fires mostly occurred in ex mega rice project land. LAPAN predicted that it would be dry in Indonesia and that there would be rainfall in central part of Papua. PSI reading in Dumai district was within moderate level (56). Visibility in Palembang, South Sumatra was 4km while in Pekanbaru, Riau, it was deteriorated to 800m.


The distribution of hotspots in Indonesia as detected by NOAA 12 is shown in the following table:

In Malaysia, on 28 September 2006, NOAA 18 detected 10 hotspots in Sarawak and 7 hotspots in Sabah . NOAA 12 detected 3 hotspots in Peninsular Malaysia which were scattered in the States of Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Pahang. The fire weather index in Malaysia is mostly low with moderate index only in the northwest part of Peninsular Malaysia. The fire weather index in Sabah remains low but moderate and high in Sarawak. As of 11.00 am today (29 September 2006), 11 stations recorded good air quality level and 39 stations recorded moderate level. The air quality status in Sri Aman and Sarawak remains slightly unhealthy with the API readings of 102. At 11.00 am the visibility reading in Bayan Lepas, Sitiawan, Subang, Petaling Jaya, Sepang, Melaka, Kluang and Mersing was between 3km and 9km. Visibility in Sabah is between 3km and 8 km, but in Sarawak it is low, between 2km and 6km. Showers are likely in the next 2 days in Peninsular Malaysia.

No fires were detected in Singapore. PSI reading was within moderate range (66). Visibility in Singapore Changi Airport was between 7km and 10km. While, in Seletar Airport the visibility was between 2.5km and 10km.

Based on FDRS reading, all fine fuels will easily ignite, potentially resulting in many fires in parts of northern Viet Nam, southern Sumatra and most parts of Borneo. In mixed fuels, severe drought conditions and high-intensify fires can occur in parts of southern Sumatra and parts of southern Borneo. Both moderate- and high-intensity fires can be very common in parts of Borneo. Peat areas will produce widespread and severe haze from deep and long-burning fires in parts of southern Sumatra. Persistent smouldering in natural peat areas and severe haze are likely in parts of southern Borneo. Smouldering in drained peat areas is possible in Thailand, Lao PDR, parts of Viet Nam, Peninsular Malaysia, most parts of Sumatra and most parts of Borneo.


Resources Mobilised and Actions Taken

In Indonesia, Governor of Central Kalimantan has initiated water bomb operation to suppress peatland fires in Bukit Rawi and Tumbang Nusa villages. The Police Department of South Kalimantan has arrested suspects whose companies conducted land clearing by open burning. The Indonesian National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) continues to provide information on weather situation and fire danger information. Meteorological Services of Indonesia continues to provide information on weather situation.

In Malaysia, all DoE State Offices have been directed to intensify enforcement actions against open burning activities since 13 June 2006 in view of the beginning of the dry season. Aerial and ground surveillance are intensified to curb open burning activities in Malaysia throughout the country and all hotspot detected will be verified accordingly. The Air Division of DoE and the Central Forecast Office of Malaysia Meteorological Department (MMD) continue to remain vigilance and closely monitor the API readings, visibility and the weather conditions. In view of high number of hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan, as well as the south-westerly monsoon, two meetings of the Working Group on Haze Action were held in early July and middle of August to prepare for the necessary local actions as well as to respond to Alert Levels 2 and 3 issued by the Interim ACC. The public in Malaysia can submit their open burning complaints to Department of Environment (DoE) through toll free – JASLINE (1-800-88-2727). Following the issuance of Alert Level 3 by the Interim ACC on 7 September 2006, Malaysia deployed one expert to Pontianak , West Kalimantan on 9 September 2006 to join the rapid assessment.

Singapore has sent Indonesia high-resolution satellite pictures of fire sites to facilitate its fire-fighting efforts on ground.

On 27 September 2006, in view of deterioration of the fire and haze situation in South Sumatra, the ASMC advised the Interim ACC to upgrade the alert level in Sumatra to Alert Level 2. ASEAN Secretariat issued a Press Release on Actions Taken and Preparations by ASEAN during the Current Dry Season to Mitigate Fires and Address Transboundary Haze Pollution on 11 September 2006. Following the deployment of members of the Panel of ASEAN Experts from Indonesia , Malaysia , Singapore and the ASEAN Secretariat to West Kalimantan on 11-13 September 2006, the Interim ACC received the experts' mission report to West Kalimantan on 18 September 2006. The mission report was subsequently circulated to the National Focal Points on the same day.