Volunteers battle Borneo's peat fires and toxic smog

Volunteer firefighters in Indonesian Borneo are risking their lives to battle subterranean peat fires that have burned 200,000 hectares since July, releasing toxic carbon and sending hazardous smog across Southeast Asia. The fires have caused over 50,000 respiratory infections in Indonesia. The fires are fueled by a "Super El Niño" drought and are burning through one of the world's largest tropical peatlands, which store ancient carbon. When ignited, these deep deposits release massive amounts of greenhouse gases, creating a "carbon bomb" effect that threatens regional health and the climate. Experts say the crisis stems from decades of industrial deforestation and peatland drainage, which have increased fire risk. Indigenous communities, often blamed for the fires, are now leading firefighting efforts, facing exhaustion, water shortages, and dangerous air quality as they work to extinguish the blazes.