Volunteers battle Borneo's peat fires and toxic haze

Volunteer firefighters in Indonesian Borneo are risking their lives to combat massive peat fires that are releasing ancient carbon stores and sending toxic smog across Southeast Asia, with thousands of active hotspots fueled by a "Super El Niño" drought. The fires have carbonized about 200,000 hectares since July, causing air pollution nearly 75 times WHO-recommended levels and over 50,000 respiratory infections in Indonesia, including 12,000 children under five. Two volunteers have died recently. Experts say decades of deforestation and peatland drainage for plantations have increased fire risk, while indigenous communities face scapegoating despite traditional practices. Volunteers struggle with water shortages, fatigue, and persistent reignitions as they await rain.