In the Malaysian state of Sabah, seventy-seven schools, are closed for two days after thick smoke enveloped the area amidst simmering peat fires from the Binsuluk Forest Reserve in the Klias peninsula. In some areas, the visibility was so bad that drivers could only see 20m ahead in the thick haze. Sabah Education Department acting director Maimunah Suhaibul said the schools, involving over 20,000 students.
Firefighters have been battling dozens of jungle, bush and orchard fires on a daily basis as the dry spell – induced by El Nino – entered its third month in Sabah.
On Saturday, firefighters said they had brought the Binsuluk forest peat fires under control after a series of aerial water bombings.
However, they warned that undergrowth fires could flare up from time to time.
Image courtesy of CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / CC-BY-SA-3.0
